CHICAGO MAN CONVICTED OF KILLING GIRLFRIEND’S BABY

9-Month Old Died From Shaken Baby Syndrome and Trauma to Head

Atlanta- Fulton County District Attorney Paul L. Howard, Jr. announces the conviction by jury trial of 38-year old Rodney Noel of Chicago. After a nearly month long trial and four hours of deliberations, jurors found Noel guilty this afternoon of three counts of Felony Murder, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery and Cruelty to Children in the first degree for the death of his girlfriend’s nine month old son.

Baby Tyrell Williams died April 1, 2007 after being removed from life support. The child had traveled to Atlanta with his mother and the defendant from Chicago a week earlier for a doctor’s appointment. While in town, the couple rented a room at an extended stay hotel in Sandy Springs. The child was left in the defendant’s care on at least two occasions. Once when the mother returned to the room from the grocery store, she noticed the baby’s lip was bleeding. When questioned about it, Noel told his girlfriend the baby fell. On the second occasion, the mother returned to the room and discovered Baby Tyrell unconscious in the doorway. A maintenance man was on the phone with 9-1-1. Noel told the woman the baby choked. Noel gave several conflicting statements to police regarding his involvement in the baby’s injuries. At one point he adamantly denied shaking the child and then eventually admitted to ‘slightly jostling’ the child’s car seat. Testimony from renowned child abuse experts revealed that Tyrell suffered severe brain damage consistent with abusive head trauma and Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Rodney Noel was sentenced to life in prison by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Tom Campbell who presided over the case.

Chief Senior Assistant District Attorney Fani Willis prosecuted the case with assistance from Senior ADA Chuck Boring, ADA Hannah Chung and DA Investigator Olyemphis Huff. Detective Frank Trammer with the Sandy Springs Police Department led the initial investigation.

Media Contact: Yvette Brown, 404-224-0560/404-392-8867, yvette.brown@fultoncountyga.gov