DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A DeKalb County mother just learned her fate in the trial of her son's death and will soon learn her sentence. Teresa Black was found not guilty on all counts except for concealing the death of another on Wednesday.
Shortly after the verdict was released, jurors and DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston spoke with news reporters reacting to the verdict.
"While we respect the jury's verdict, I would be lying if I didn't say I wasn't disappointed. We still believe that she is responsible for William's death," Boston said. "We are glad though that Teresa Black will be held accountable."
The remains of 6-year-old William Hamilton were found in the DeKalb County woods just off Clifton Road in 1999. Since his remains were decomposed, investigators weren't able to identify him, coining him the "John Clifton Doe" for decades, running the case cold. That was until a family friend and neighbor recognized William in a rendered sketch in 2022, leading to Black's arrest.
"The case was cold for 23 years. The evidence was limited at best as far as physical evidence to support the charges that was brought upon Teresa Black by the state," said Samuel Logan, one of the 12 jurors who helped make the decision in Wednesday's verdict.
Jonathan Mittleman, another juror in the case, described the energy in the room as the jury sat through making their tough decision.
Watch the full interview with jurors below.
This story continues below the video.
"It was tough. Every day was gut-wrenching and long. We all spent a lot of time thinking about things. You're mentally drained at the end of the day and you want to see the right outcome," the juror added. "We all wanted things to go differently, but we had to go with what the law was."
Jurors still believed they made the right decision based on the evidence that was presented to them. Despite the outcome of the verdict, District Attorney Boston believes Hamilton is still receiving justice.
"Teresa Bailey (Black) may have walked away and abandoned her side in 1999. But today, I'm proud to say that the people in this room and in this community never did today. William Deshawn Hamilton has his name back, and he will never be forgotten," said DA Boston.
Sentencing is scheduled on Friday, Jan. 12. Black can face anywhere from one to 10 years in prison, according to DA Boston.
More on the case
Teresa Ann Bailey Black, originally from Arizona, was accused of playing a role in her son's death after a neighbor recognized William Hamilton from a rendered composite sketch.
On Feb. 26, 1999, investigators found the remains of the unidentified child in the woods near Clifton Springs Road and Clifton Church Road. Police believe the child had been dead for three to six months. That's when he became known as the “John Clifton Doe" for decades. Police then closed the case for decades.
The rendered composite sketch from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children would be the lead for the case 23 years later, opening the case back up.
DNA collected from Black would link her to the child's remains. According to an investigation, Black was living in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her son and her father when she suddenly moved her and her son to Atlanta in 1998. The next year, she returned to Charlotte without her son, leaving friends and family to speculate about his whereabouts.
Police then interviewed Black in 2022 about her son's death. She then shared that she allegedly was present when William died and left his body in the wooded location. She told police that he was sick for days prior to his death. She was then arrested in June 2022 in Arizona and extradited to Georgia in July.
Black was later indicted on two counts of felony murder, two counts of cruelty to children, aggravated assault, and concealing the death of another.
According to a previous indictment record, she is accused of causing her son's death by giving him "a substance or substances containing Diphenhydramine and Acetaminophen." In addition to allegedly giving her child those medicines, the mother is accused of striking him in the head with an unknown object. The indictment also alleges she failed to seek medical treatment for him and concealed his death.
But during the trial, medical experts testified saying that an animal scavenging could have led to his head injury.