DECATUR, GA – A DeKalb County Superior Court sentenced a mother to life imprisonment plus 20 years for the horrific murder and abuse of her 4-year-old son. Malisha Sasfras, 26, was convicted on charges including felony murder and multiple counts of child cruelty and aggravated battery, with her sentence delivered on Friday.
The tragic case came to light after emergency services were called to an apartment complex in Decatur—located about 8 miles from Atlanta—on the afternoon of February 11, 2023, following reports of an unresponsive child. Upon arrival, first responders quickly transported the boy to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where he was pronounced dead.
During the investigation, authorities unearthed a chilling pattern of abuse. Sasfras had attempted to explain her son’s state by claiming he had complained of a headache and slept. Later, when he was discovered lifeless, she stated she tried unsuccessfully to revive him by pouring water into his mouth before she was allegedly urged to contact emergency services by the boy’s father, Javonte Harris, who faces separate charges in relation to the child’s death.
However, medical personnel noted the extent of the victim’s injuries was consistent with long-term abuse. The child bore numerous scars, bruising consistent with being struck by a belt or cord, and signs indicative of being restrained. A subsequent autopsy conducted by the DeKalb County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head, and the manner of death was ruled as homicide.
Investigators also disclosed that Sasfras had been sending social media messages to Harris, talking about beating the child for bed-wetting. Sasfras claimed to be unaware of how her son sustained the fatal injury, despite admitting to discipline known as ‘whooping’ her children.
The fate of Sasfras is now sealed following the jury’s verdict, while the legal proceedings against Harris are still ongoing as the prosecution builds its case. This harrowing incident has left the community and law enforcement grappling with the reality of such inescapable domestic violence and child abuse.
