PR: Two Arrested In Death Of A Toddler Police Now Looking For Mother

[icewater]

For Immediate Release: 03/21/2007
Prepared by: Mike Wilson/SCMPDInformation/SavGa

SCMPD arrests two in death of toddler


Two people are being charged in connection with savagely abusing and killing a 2-year-old boy. The toddler, Quawee Lee, was left in the care of the suspects around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, and was pronounced dead at Memorial Health University Medical Center 4 hours later. An autopsy performed Wednesday revealed the boy died from blunt force trauma and a history of physical abuse.

Detectives interviewed the caretakers and implicated them as the people responsible for Quawee's death. Shonna Johnson, 27, of Savannah, is being charged with murder. Joe Johnson, 29, is charged with first-degree criminal cruelty to a child. They are both in the Chatham County jail. The pair will be arraigned Thursday at 1 p.m. in Recorder's Court.
Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police began investigating after responding to an apartment at 5013 Ogeechee Road on a report of a sick child. The report originated from the apartment where the caller told police that they were caring for the child when he began vomiting and became unresponsive. Paramedics arrived and rushed him to the hospital.

When police arrived on the scene, they met with the Johnsons briefly. The Johnsons told police that the child had been dropped off by a boyfriend of the child's mother, but did not know where or how to contact her.

The child was dead upon arrival at the hospital. Detectives from the Special Victim's Unit responded to the hospital and met with doctors.

They observed what appeared to be ligature marks around the child's wrists and ankles where he had apparently been bound. Police and medical officials observed other very graphic signs of abuse, including burns and abrasions.

Police are now seeking Quawee's mother, Shatoya Lee, 26, for questioning. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Lee is urged to call police at 232-4141.

[dallasvic]

I read this story in another forum. This child suffered from abuse for awhile. They had tied him up also .Who would have to tie up a small child like that ? They are defenseless!! He was also burned!! I want to know were the mother is and how she could have left her child with someone like that. And why for so long?I will definitely keep up on this case!!

[1]

The sadistic treatment these kids get at the hands of abusers is so hard to comprehend, isn't it?
The tying up, hitting, broken bones, burning. It's shocking, what some of these people do.
It goes past mental illness & drug inducement....it seems some just want to use the child as a literal 'whipping boy'. (IMO)

[dallasvic]

I am being think that there should be a law that what ever one does to another, they should receive the same! You kill someone and you should be killed in the same way.You torture someone you should be tortured in the same way and so on etc. etc JMO Then maybe some people would stop and think before they act on it