A Cherokee County jury convicted a Lenox woman of abusing her own child, and a judge sentenced her to the maximum prison term allowed under Georgia law — all on the same day.
What’s Happening: On April 2, Superior Court Judge Shannon Wallace sentenced 35-year-old Candice Nicole McClure to 40 years in prison after a jury convicted her earlier that day. The trial lasted four days. Jurors found her guilty of one count of aggravated assault and two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree — a Georgia felony that applies when someone willfully causes a child cruel or excessive physical pain.
How It Started: The case opened in April 2023 after a Cherokee County elementary school teacher reported concerns about a student. The child told the teacher that McClure had kicked and punched the child’s legs and choked the child with her hands. That report led to a child abuse investigation.
What Investigators Found: During an unannounced home visit, a state child welfare worker photographed bruising on the child’s leg and a patterned injury on the child’s forehead. The child was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where doctors documented significant bruising on the legs and a forehead injury consistent with being struck by a belt. The child later took part in a forensic interview — a structured, recorded interview used in child abuse cases to gather information from young victims.
At Trial: Twelve witnesses testified for the State, including the child, other family members, law enforcement officers, medical providers, child advocacy experts, child welfare workers, and school staff. Prosecutors introduced 20 exhibits, including the recorded forensic interview, photographs of the injuries, and school records. The jury deliberated about two and a half hours before returning its verdict.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
