Who is Trinity Poague? Georgia Beauty Queen Charged Over Toddler's Murder

A teenage beauty queen in Georgia has been arrested on suspicion of murdering an 18-month-old boy, officials said Saturday.

The reigning Miss Donalsonville, Trinity Madison Poague, 18 years old, has been accused of several charges after the death of the toddler. Medics were unable to save the unresponsive infant when he was admitted to the hospital on January 14. Authorities have not yet named the child publicly or revealed the nature of his relationship to Poague.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the case and has charged Poague with felony murder, aggravated battery and cruelty to children in the first degree.

A statement issued by the agency on Saturday said: "On Sunday January 14, 2024, at about 2:00 pm, the Georgia Southwestern State University Police Department asked the GBI to investigate the death of a child.

"The investigation indicates an unresponsive 18-month-old boy was admitted to the emergency room at Phoebe Sumter Hospital in Americus, Georgia. Hospital personnel performed life saving measures on the child; however, he later died.

"After multiple interviews and an examination of the evidence, GBI agents arrested Poague."

The statement did not provide any further details about the child's condition when he was taken in for treatment, nor does it explain who took him to the hospital, and his cause of death has not yet been revealed. Poague is currently at the Sumter County Jail with no bond.

Newsweek has reached out to the GBI by email seeking further information and comment.

Poague is the reigning Miss Donalsonville 2023 and was one of the contestants at the National Peanut Festival pageant in October.

The teenager was named by local newspaper the Donalsonville News as one of the honor graduates of Southwest Georgia Academy in a report about the school's graduation ceremony in May 2023.

A few months later, in August, she was named by another local newspaper as being among a group of freshmen selected for a university leadership program.

The Thomasville Times-Enterprise reported that Poague was part of a 22-strong cohort selected by Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) to participate in its President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program, which was created in honor of the institution's former alumnus.

In order to be considered, the students must meet strict criteria, such having a high school grade point average of 3.0 or above and proof of a previous leadership role of some sort, such as in a sports team or club, and there is an interview process before they are chosen.

Anyone with information about the alleged killing has been asked to get in touch with the authorities by submitting a tip on the GBI's website or downloading the See Something, Send Something app to their phone. Anyone who wishes to remain anonymous should call 1-800-597-TIPS (8477).