A Hall County woman already facing charges in the death of a 4-year-old child is now accused of murder, investigators said Wednesday.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said 36-year-old Jessica Motes of Gainesville has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, and cruelty to children in the first degree.
Motes was previously arrested on a charge of concealing a death in connection with the same case. She remains in the Hall County Detention Center, where she has been held since that initial arrest.
Authorities said the GBI was called on Oct. 26 by the Oakwood Police Department and the Hall County Sheriff’s Office to assist with the child’s death investigation.
According to officials, the new charges were filed after investigators from all three agencies gathered additional evidence during the ongoing investigation.
Authorities have not said how the child died, what evidence led to the upgraded murder charges, or whether anyone else may face charges in the case.
Investigators also have not shared the child’s name, relationship to Motes, or when the death is believed to have occurred.
Once the case is complete, the GBI said it will be turned over to the Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office for prosecution.
