An 18-year-old reigning pageant queen has been arrested and charged with murder after a toddler was rushed to hospital in a critical condition before dying.
Trinity Madison Poague, reigning Miss Donalsonville, has been arrested and charged with the murder of the 18-month old. The young beauty queen is facing charges of felony murder, aggravated battery, and cruelty to children in the first degree, following the tragic death of the tot.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) reported that the toddler was rushed to Phoebe Sumter Hospital's emergency room in Americus, Georgia, in a critical condition. Despite the hospital staff's best efforts, the little boy didn't survive.
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The GBI stated: "Once the investigation is complete, the casefile will be given to the Southwestern Judicial Circuit District Attorney's Office for prosecution." They are working alongside Georgia Southwestern State University Police Department and the Americus Police Department on this case.
Poague was taken into custody "after multiple interviews and an examination of the evidence," according to the GBI. However, they have not yet released any details about the cause of the toddler's death or Poague's relationship with the child.
Last year, Poague graduated with honors from Southwest Georgia Academy in Damascus. She's currently the reigning Miss Donalsonville and recently took part in the National Peanut Festival Pageant. She's also a student at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, where she was selected for the President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program.
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The "Little Miss Donalsonville" Facebook page shared a photo of Trinity, saying: "It's pageant week for my Miss Donalsonville Trinity! She is so fierce and I know she will bring the sass just like me! I can't wait to see my 'big' on that big stage this weekend!"
In 2023, Poague was named "Miss Seminole" according to the Donalsonville News. The news outlet also posted a picture of her with other pageant winners, where she's seen holding a young child on stage.
Poague's mom shared a picture of her daughter as a beauty queen on her Facebook page last fall. In a pageant ad, Trinity Poague is quoted as saying: "God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promise, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself."
The GBI is urging anyone with information about this case to come forward. You can submit anonymous tips by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at https://gbi.georgia.gov/submit-tips-online, or by downloading the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story.