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District Attorney seeking death penalty for mom accused of starving 2-year-old to death

Reygan Moon, 2 years old, was just 14 pounds when she died.

GWINNETT, Ga. — Little Reygan Moon was only 2 years old when she died. The suspect accused in her death is the very person that was supposed to protect her - her mother.

Now, Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said he is seeking the death penalty against Devin Moon. 

Back in May 2019, Porter told 11Alive he would be considering that sentence. But 11Alive learned on Wednesday that Porter's office has filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty in the case. 

An autopsy revealed Reygan - who 2 years and 11 months -  died in July 2018 and weighed just 14 pounds. That's half of what a healthy 3-year-old should weigh. 

Her mother is accused of starving the toddler to death - leaving the girl alone for hours in a closet while she worked as a dancer at a local club.

RELATED: 'It didn't have to happen this way' | Grandmother of starved girl speaks

Credit: Gwinnett County
Devin Moon

RELATED: Reygan Moon, starved to death, may have died alone in a closet

Police charged Devin with cruelty to children in the first degree and felony murder. 

There were red flags along the way. Deborah Walton Moon said she became concerned with the weight of her granddaughter back in July of 2017. She told 11Alive during a 2018 interview she contacted the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) more than once.

The DFCS admitted in its own files that Reygan's case was not fully assessed, and follow-up visits were not done. The director said the case was making the department reassess its staff and systems.

DFCS was also put in the spotlight in another high profile case, where 10-year-old Emani Moss was starved to death. After she died, three DFCS workers were fired. Others faced discipline for dismissing abuse and allegations. 

Her grandmother, Robin, is suing the department for not doing more to save her. Emani's stepmother, Tiffany Moss was sentenced to death in April 2019.

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