A Georgia mother has been charged with murder after police found her 11-year-old daughter stabbed and staged in a living room recliner, according to testimony and newly released records.
Jail records confirm that 52-year-old Shannen Grimes faces charges of murder, first-degree cruelty to children, possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony, and tampering with evidence in connection with the Nov. 15 death of her daughter, Genesis Grimes.
During a December 10 hearing, Sandy Springs police detective Isaiah Tomlin testified that Grimes told investigators the moments before the killing felt “like a dream.” According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Grimes said she had become “fearful and paranoid” after visiting her elderly father in New Jersey days earlier. She reportedly told police she believed that if she died, she and Genesis would “wake up… like a bad dream.”
Tomlin testified that Grimes feared someone might try to harm her or her daughter “to get to his money or resources,” according to the AJC’s reporting.
Police were dispatched to the home after Grimes sent an alarming message to her sister on the morning of Nov. 16. According to testimony cited by the AJC, the message read: “If they are harming girls, they cannot have Gen.” It continued: “My beautiful, talented angel can sing her whistle tone in heaven.”
Her sister called 911 immediately. Officers arrived minutes later.
When police entered the residence, they found Grimes lying on a couch with self-inflicted injuries, according to the AJC and Atlanta News First. Genesis was found dead in a nearby recliner. She had been covered with a blanket and had a Bible devotional placed in her lap.
Detective Tomlin testified that the child had been stabbed at least four times and showed defensive wounds, including a deep cut across the base of her right thumb. He said the girl appeared to have been cleaned before being positioned in the chair.
Neighbors told FOX 5 Atlanta that the pair were seen as polite and kind, and the news came as a shock. “You just say to yourself, how could I have not known what in the world was going on,” neighbor Mona D’Agostino said.
A magistrate judge ruled on December 10 that there was sufficient evidence for the case to proceed to a grand jury. Police have notified Genesis’s school, where counselors are available for students and staff, FOX 5 Atlanta reported.
Grimes remains in custody as the investigation continues.
