Julia Tomlin, a mother-of-ten, was sentenced to 55 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing Noah, her son with autism, in 2019. The medical examiner described that the injuries were so severe that it would have taken a lot of force to cause that kind of skull fracture on a toddler.
Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney Anton Bell said that the toddler was mutilated, tortured, and had a horrific death. After one week of search operations, the police found Noah's body stuffed in a diaper box inside a garbage bag and disposed of at a steam plant.
Murder with a life sentence of 55 years in prison
Six months after authorities discovered Noah's body, Tomlin was charged with murder. One of Tomlin's daughters testified during her sentencing and asked the judge to hand out the maximum penalty to their mother.
In December of last year, she pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, child abuse and neglect, and concealment of a body. The Sun reports that Tomlin received 40 years for second to third-degree murder, five years for concealment of evidence, and ten years of child abuse and neglect.
She said all ten of her siblings suffered abuse at their mother's hands, but baby Noah "received the worst from her." She added that no one deserves what her little brother had to endure.
The mom was convicted of child neglect in the past after placing her one-year-old daughter on a hot stove.
Chief Judge Michael Gaten said he did not know if he could live with himself if he did not issue the maximum amount of time allowed under the law for murder. He said the sentence needed to "speak the value" of Noah's life, per the Daily Press.
Horrific injuries
Bell said the system had failed Noah and that Tomlin should never have custody of the child.
The doctor said Noah's injuries were comparable to injuries inflicted from falling from a multiple-story building and legs being flung by the feet against the wall. The medical examiner noted that the toddler suffered from broken ribs and jaw before the mom killed him.
The autopsy also revealed that the two-year-old suffered many other injuries before his death, indicating that he was abused.
The medical examiner also noted that Noah's body showed signs of trauma even before he died. He found a jaw fracture and several broken ribs before his death.
According to WAVY, Tomlin was in the courtroom crying when she was given the maximum sentence for her son's death.
The medical examiner said the mom remembers the case well because the head injuries were so severe.
Prosecutors say Tomlin did not show remorse at the time of the crime because she tried to cover up her crime. She did not comment on the outcome of the case.
