Murder conviction against mom charged with murdering child overturned

ATLANTA (WDEF) – The Supreme Court of Georgia overturned the murder conviction of Suzzette Marie Calloway this week for the death of her 15 month old baby.

The conviction will stand, but the life sentence will have to go back to court.

In 2001, a fire in Catoosa County severely burned the child.

A space heater was first blamed.

But investigators found the couple were cooking meth in the home and the vapors ignited, causing an explosion.

A burning blanket fell on the baby, resulting in severe burns.

The child was taken to Shriners Hospital in Cincinatti, underwent 10 surgeries and suffered lung damage.

Months later, he died when a doctor changed his breathing tube.

Hicks and Calloway were convicted in Federal Court of manufacturing meth.

She got a 20 year sentence.

But then Catoosa County also tried her on the murder charge for negligence.

The court ruled there was plenty of evidence to convict her.

But they tossed the sentence but not the conviction.

“We conclude that the evidence was sufficient to support the jury’s verdicts, but Calloway’s federal conviction for attempt to manufacture meth barred a successive prosecution for the state crime of felony murder predicted on manufacturing meth.”