Mother sentenced to 400 years for abuse of her children

CALHOUN, Georgia (WDEF) – A northwest Georgia mom has been sentenced to 400 years for child abuse.

But Stephanie Danielle Davis will only have to serve the first 200 years in prison, the rest on probation.

Last November, she pleaded guilty to 42 charges of abuse.

Both she and her husband were charged with abusing their 9 children.

The case began two years ago when a teenage boy escaped the house and told police that his stepfather slapped, punched, beat, strangled and burned him with hot oil.

When police arrived at the house they found kids between 3 and 17 without clothing, beds blankets and pillows.

They say they also found a stick and belt used to beat them.

The only heated rooms were the master bedroom and a closet they kept exotic snakes and reptiles in.

Investigators say the abuse included limiting food and water to the children, restricting the bathroom, feeding them spoiled food and locking them up.

They also said that the children were strangled until they passed out, forced to sing on a fire ant pile and burned with sparklers.

“The abuse these nine children suffered at the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Davis was horrendous,” said Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Katie Gropper, who prosecuted the case for the State.

A school counselor in the Gordon County Schools reported possible child abuse in the family in 2019.

The children have been home schooled since then.
43 year old Christopher Davis was arrested and convicted in December on 47 charges of abuse.

He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms, plus 841 year on top of that.

His wife pleaded guilty in November.

“While Stephanie Davis initially painted herself as a helpless victim, the evidence demonstrated her extensive involvement. She not only held the children down while they were beaten and burned by her husband Christopher Davis, but also crafted cover stories for the children to tell their teachers and DFCS if they were ever asked about their injuries. Her efforts to influence and manipulate the children to recant their allegations continued even after her arrest.”

At the sentencing, two of her children said their suffering was painful, but not as painful as the betrayal of their mother.

“While the physical and emotional suffering inflicted by their own mother is something that still weighs heavy on these children, they are steadfast in their commitment to heal, move forward, and build a better life. Today, the children are in stable and loving foster homes and have demonstrated incredible resilience,” said Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace. “These children are now able to live freely, without fear, and to rise above this trauma.”