Decatur woman gets life sentence in murder of special needs daughter abandoned in closet

DECATUR, GA-  A Decatur woman was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday, April 23, for the murder of her 7-year-old special needs daughter, whom she abandoned and left to die alone. 

Alondra Hobbs, 29, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to charges of Malice Murder, two counts of Felony Murder, and two counts of Cruelty to Children in the First Degree, stemming from the death of her daughter, Alivia Jordan.  The child’s mummified remains were discovered strapped in a stroller inside a bedroom closet on June 25, 2023. 

DeKalb County Superior Court Judge LaTisha Dear Jackson, who presided over the hearing,sentenced Hobbs to Life Without the Possibility of Parole. 

“Alivia Jordan did not deserve the slow, painful, and lonely death she suffered at the hands of her mother.  I extend my deepest condolences to her family and I hope that they take some comfort in knowing Alondra Hobbs is being held accountable for her actions,” DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston said. “I want parents to know that abandoning a child is never the right choice and help is available for those who are struggling.  We encourage families to visit FindHelpGA.org to connect with local resources.” 

According to the investigation, officers with the DeKalb County Police Department responded to an apartment complex on Misty Waters Drive in unincorporated Decatur after an anonymous 911 caller reported seeing a dead child inside a closet in one of the units on June 25, 2023.  When officers arrived, they found a little girl’s mummified body strapped in a stroller in a bedroom closet. 

Through their investigation, police learned that Hobbs had moved out of the apartment months earlier.  During a police interview, Hobbs admitted she put her daughter Alivia in the closet, confined to a stroller before leaving the child alone in the apartment.  Hobbs said her daughter was alive when she left, but that she abandoned her because her life was “too much.”  Hobbs said Alivia was autistic and medical records showed Alivia suffered from seizures related to cerebral palsy. 

The case, assigned to the Special Victims Unit, was prosecuted by Chief Assistant District Attorney Edward Chase with assistance from Senior Assistant District Attorney Jasmine Reese, District Attorney Investigator Rosalyn Byrd and Supervising Victim Advocate Yuzellie Garcia.  DeKalb County Police Department Det. Heavner led the initial investigation.