A Georgia babysitter was sentenced to 37 years in prison for the death of a 2-year-old girl she was caring for.
Sentencing and Charges
Phillissa Diallo, 44, received 37 years, with the first 21 to serve in prison, after pleading guilty to second-degree murder, cruelty to children, and concealing the death of another. The case was handled by the Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office.
The Crime
On December 14, 2022, Diallo reported a dead child at her apartment on Hearthstone Landing Drive in Canton, Georgia. Police discovered the remains of Alyssa Rose Davis in a plastic bin in a closet. An autopsy revealed lethal amounts of acetaminophen and diphenhydramine.
Investigators determined Diallo had been responsible for the child for two weeks but left her alone for extended periods and misled her mother.
Prosecutor’s Statement and Family Reaction
Prosecutor Rachel Hines said Diallo “demonstrated willful neglect” and “took gruesome, unimaginable steps to conceal her death.” At sentencing, Alyssa’s mother said she was “robbed” of her daughter, and noted that Alyssa’s siblings “miss their sister deeply.”
