Georgia Father Gets Life Sentence for Starving 4-Year-Old Daughter to Death

A judge handed down a life sentence plus 155 years to Rodney McWeay for the starvation death of his daughter. The 33-year-old father was convicted last month in Fulton County.

🚨 What Happened: McWeay was found guilty of felony murder, child cruelty, kidnapping and false imprisonment after his 4-year-old daughter Treasure died from dehydration and malnourishment in December 2023.

• Police discovered Treasure unresponsive in a southwest Atlanta home, according to authorities
• Medical examiners determined the cause of death was neglect

🔍 Between the Lines: Evidence showed McWeay had abducted his three children from their mother in Maryland months before Treasure’s death.

• Georgia’s Division of Family & Children Services had previously removed the children from McWeay’s home after finding them locked in separate rooms without food, water or air conditioning
• Despite this intervention, McWeay regained access to the children

⚖️ Why It Matters: This case exposes critical failures in child protection systems that led to a preventable death.

💔 The Big Picture: Child welfare advocates point to this case as an example of how vulnerable children can fall through cracks in the system. District Attorney Fani Willis called the case “a heartbreaking reminder of what can happen when young children are cut off from safety and support.”