Noah Tomlin.Photo: Hampton Police
A mother now stands accused of killing the2-year-old son she reported missingfrom their home last June, about a week before his battered and decomposed body wasdiscovered inside a city-run trash incinerator plant in Hampton, Virginia.
Julia Tomlin, 35, appeared briefly in court Monday on the charge, reports theDaily Press, but it was unclear if she has entered a formal plea prior to a scheduled Dec. 9 hearing.
The toddler, Noah Tomlin, died from two fractures to his skull that “were not only severe, but horrific,” Hampton Commonwealth’s Attorney Anton Bellsaid in a news conferenceThursday.
Those fractures, along with additional injuries that included jaw fractures, hip fractures and bruised ribs — some of which had begun to heal — suggested long-term abuse that could not have been caused accidentally based on the autopsy, said Bell.
“I have been prosecuting for more than 20-plus years, and I’ve seen some very graphic things,” said Bell. “I’ve seen some very horrific crime scenes and have actually gone to an autopsy. And nothing really kind of grabs you like seeing a child, or a toddler, being the victim of a crime.”
During the search for the missing boy, the mother was taken into custody andcharged with three counts of child neglect.
Julia Tomlin.Hampton Police Department
The additional charges of murder and disposal of a deceased person were filed after a medical examiner concluded in an autopsy report that Noah died from blunt force trauma and battered child syndrome, said Bell.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Julia’s court-appointed attorney, assistant public defender Ryan Asalone, had earlier been named to represent her on the child neglect charges, and on Monday, Judge Robert Wilson V directed the public defender’s office to continue representing her on the latest allegations, reports theDaily Press.
Julia currently is being held at the Hampton Roads Regional Jail. No bond information was available, according to jail records.
“Justice looks like Julia Tomlin being held fully accountable for the death of her son, and to me, that’s prison,” said Bell.
source: people.com
