A Georgia man, Brandon Robinson, was sentenced to 30 years after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and making false statements in the death of 6-year-old A'Niyah Perry, whose body was found severely malnourished and staged at a Hinesville home. Prosecutors dropped more serious counts as part of a plea deal. Surveillance footage and investigative accounts indicate Robinson and the child’s mother, Sherry Perry, transported and placed the already-deceased child at the scene. Perry has been sentenced to life but has filed to withdraw her plea; a hearing is set for Oct. 26.
Man Sentenced to 30 Years After Pleading Guilty in Death of 6-Year-Old Found Severely Malnourished
Brandon Robinson stands in court on Sept. 28, 2026. (Court TV)
A Georgia man who admitted involvement in the death of a 6-year-old girl was sentenced Monday to 30 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder and making false statements in connection with the child's death.
Case and Plea
Forty-year-old Brandon Robinson accepted a plea agreement in which prosecutors dismissed more serious counts, including malice murder, felony murder and cruelty to children. Under the agreement, Robinson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and making false statements in the death of his girlfriend's daughter, A'Niyah Perry.
Discovery and Investigation
Authorities were alerted after A'Niyah was found lifeless at the Hinesville, Ga., home of her mother, Sherry Perry, on May 1, 2023. Detective Johnathan Santiago testified at a preliminary hearing that Perry initially told police she had put A'Niyah to bed at 4:30 p.m. and discovered the child unresponsive about four hours later.
Investigators soon found inconsistencies. Santiago said surveillance footage showed Robinson and Perry arriving at the home hours before they called police, with A'Niyah already deceased and wrapped in a blue blanket. Perry later admitted the child had been transported from another state and staged at the Hinesville residence to appear as if she had died there.
The detective said a photograph provided by A'Niyah's father, taken in December 2022, showed a well-nourished child with "healthy, thick, chunky cheeks," which contrasted sharply with how she appeared at discovery. Santiago described the girl at the scene as "severely malnourished," saying her skeletal structure could be seen through her skin.
Family and Medical Background
A'Niyah Perry (Smalls Funeral Home, Inc.)
Perry told investigators A'Niyah had multiple medical conditions, including cerebral palsy and spastic quadriplegia. Perry said the child had been ill for roughly two weeks before her death but was not taken to a doctor; Perry said she had been feeding A'Niyah pureed foods and milk while traveling.
Perry told police she, Robinson and three children — A'Niyah and two younger siblings, then about 4 years and 8 months old — had been living in Robinson's truck and traveling for more than a month prior to A'Niyah's death.
Sentencing and Related Proceedings
Robinson's 30-year sentence was ordered as 20 years to be served in prison followed by 10 years of probation. Perry previously pleaded guilty to most charges she faced (prosecutors dropped the malice murder charge) and received a life sentence.
After sentencing, Perry filed a handwritten request asking to withdraw her plea, writing,
"Please note, I have no counsel representing me, as I was abandoned."A judge scheduled a hearing for Oct. 26 to consider her request.
Case Context
The case drew attention for the apparent staging of the scene and the severity of the child's condition at discovery. Investigators relied on surveillance footage and witness statements to reconstruct the timeline and movements of the adults involved.
Photo caption: Brandon Robinson in court on Sept. 28, 2026 (Court TV).
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