A court has been informed that a former beauty queen fatally assaulted her boyfriend’s young son out of resentment, aiming to have her own family with the man. Trinity Poague, aged 20 at the time, allegedly killed 18-month-old Romeo Angeles on January 14, 2024, at Georgia Southwestern State University where she lived. The child’s father, Julian Williams, had left Romeo alone with Poague to pick up a pizza. Shortly after, Poague messaged Williams claiming Romeo was unresponsive. Upon his return, he found the child in distress.
Romeo, also known as Jaxton Dru Williams or JD, became a source of conflict between the couple as their relationship strained. Prosecutors at the Georgia trial emphasized Poague’s aversion to JD, citing text messages as evidence. In one text to her roommate on the day of the incident, Poague allegedly expressed her frustration towards the child.
The prosecution argued that Poague harbored jealousy towards her 23-year-old boyfriend’s attention to his son, leading to resentment towards the child. Allegedly desiring a family with Williams but not wanting to be a stepmother, Poague’s feelings intensified. Following the incident, JD suffered severe injuries, including liver damage and irreversible brain trauma.
In her defense, Poague’s lawyer, WT Gable, asserted that she was wrongly accused and that JD’s injuries were not caused by her. He contended that the child fell from a height, causing the injuries. Despite witness testimonies of a crying child and the father’s intoxicated state on the night of the incident, Poague maintains her innocence. Charged with murder, aggravated battery, and child cruelty, she denies the accusations as the trial progresses.