A Georgia woman has been sentenced to a lengthy prison term following a heinous crime involving the murder and mutilation of a toddler. Phillissa Diallo will serve 37 years, with the initial 21 years spent behind bars, according to a press release from the Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit. The remaining years of her sentence may be carried out under probation, as indicated by court documents.
Diallo’s sentencing follows her non-negotiated guilty plea to charges including second-degree murder, cruelty to children, and the concealment of a death. This grim case unfolded on December 14, 2022, when Diallo reported a deceased child at her apartment to the Canton Police Department. Upon investigation, officers discovered the dismembered body of 2-year-old Alyssa Rose Davis. The remains were concealed in a plastic bin filled with a salt-like substance and hidden beneath other items in a closet.
While authorities were unable to pinpoint the exact date of Alyssa’s death, it was noted that she was last seen alive on December 8. An autopsy revealed that the toddler succumbed to lethal doses of acetaminophen, a common pain reliever, and diphenhydramine, an antihistamine. The discovery of these substances highlighted the tragic and avoidable nature of her death.
On Dec. 14, 2022, Diallo walked into the Canton Police Department to report a dead child in her apartment, according to the release. When officers searched the residence, they found the mutilated remains of 2-year-old Alyssa Rose Davis stuffed inside a plastic storage bin containing a salt-like substance and hidden beneath items in a closet.
Authorities could not determine Alyssa’s date of death but said the last time she was seen alive was Dec. 8, per the press release. An autopsy later determined that Alyssa had died from lethal amounts” of acetaminophen—an over-the-counter pain medication—and diphenhydramine, which is an antihistamine.
Investigators also believe that Alyssa’s stomach had been cut open, according to Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Rachel Hines.
“The medical examiner said that her stomach organ was empty,” Hines told Oxygen. “Meaning…if someone were trying to get the contents of her stomach out.”
Diallo and Alyssa’s mom originally met through a friend and often helped each other out with childcare, said Hines. Because Alyssa’s mom worked overnight shifts, she arranged for Diallo to care for Alyssa during a two-week period.
“The mom had lost contact with Diallo in the days leading up to when she turned herself in,” said Hines. “It wasn’t clear to the mom exactly what was going on, but she was working and busy. It was a way for her to survive at that time.”
There were sporadic FaceTime calls with Alyssa, Facebook messages to her mom and stories about Diallo losing her phone, said Hines, adding, “There were a couple of bizarre statements…what I would say are lies to the mom.”
Alyssa’s mom ultimately learned of her daughter’s death from law enforcement.
While Diallo refused to provide authorities with an explanation, per the press release, Hines said that at one point, Diallo wrote an Instagram message to Alyssa’s mom asking if her daughter ever sleeps at night.
Meanwhile, Ring camera footage cited in the press release suggested Diallo had left Alyssa home alone for long periods of time.
Diallo later indicated that Alyssa had somehow “got into medicine,” according to Hines. However, because Alyssa’s body had decomposed by the time of the autopsy, it was unclear how much medicine was in her system.
“There are a lot of unknowns,” said Hines. “It’s equally possible that she gave the child medicine to keep her quiet and maybe didn’t realize how much and how long her little body could be exposed to that.”
Despite unanswered questions, prosecutors argued that Diallo took deliberate steps to conceal Alyssa’s death: Home security footage cited in the press release allegedly depicted Diallo carrying bleach into her residence, while crime scene photos showed where blood had been cleaned.
Diallo’s mental health was also questioned.
An expert introduced by Diallo’s defense team claimed she was delusional, according to the press release. However, a Georgia Department of Behavioral Health expert testified that Diallo was not experiencing delusional thoughts at the time of the incident. Prosecutors also said Diallo’s history of depression and anxiety was not relevant to the case.
What’s more, prosecutors argued that Diallo admitted during the prosecution of the case that Alyssa was alive when she found her and that if she called 911, she may have saved the toddler’s life.
Attorneys for Diallo did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Oxygen.