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Former Pageant Winner Faces Trial After Boyfriend’s 18‑Month‑Old Son Is Found Dead; Prosecutors Allege She Wanted Her Own Baby

Former pageant titleholder Trinity Poague is on trial after an 18‑month‑old boy was found unresponsive on a university campus. She faces charges including malice murder, first‑degree cruelty to children, felony murder and aggravated battery and has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors say she resented the child and sought a baby with his father, citing texts and an indictment alleging severe liver damage and catastrophic brain injury. The trial began Dec. 2 and remains ongoing.

01:04 AM, 12/04/2025Society
Former Pageant Winner Faces Trial After Boyfriend’s 18‑Month‑Old Son Is Found Dead; Prosecutors Allege She Wanted Her Own Baby

Former pageant titleholder Trinity Poague is on trial after the 18‑month‑old son of her boyfriend was found unresponsive on the Georgia Southwestern State University campus. Poague has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges connected to the toddler’s death.

Charges and arrest
Poague faces counts that include malice murder, first‑degree cruelty to children, felony murder and aggravated battery. Authorities arrested her in January 2024 and later filed the indictment detailing the injuries the child suffered.

Prosecutors' allegations
During opening proceedings, prosecutors told the court that Poague resented the toddler because she wanted to have a child of her own with the boy’s father. They say messages were exchanged in which Poague expressed violent feelings toward the child, including a text that said she wanted to punch him.

Alleged injuries
The indictment alleges the child suffered severe internal injuries, including what authorities described as 'serious disfigurement to his liver,' and that the abuse left his brain effectively nonfunctional. Medical examiners and investigators are presenting those findings as central evidence in the case.

"I heard the toddler crying for a long time and then suddenly it stopped," said a student who was nearby when the child was discovered.

Background and aftermath
Poague previously held a local pageant title that was later revoked after her arrest. A fundraising campaign established to help the child’s father reportedly raised about $12,000. The trial began on Dec. 2, and proceedings are ongoing as both sides present evidence and testimony.

The accusations in this case have drawn attention because they involve alleged cruelty to a very young child and forensic findings that prosecutors say link Poague to the fatal injuries. Poague maintains her plea of not guilty as the court evaluates the evidence.

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