Judge declares mistrial in case of mom charged with murder of toddler son
07/21/2026 2:00 pm PDT
HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. (TCN) -- A judge has declared a mistrial in the case of a mother charged with the murder of her 2-year-old son after the jury was deadlocked following deliberations and a review of the evidence.
In November 2020, 2-year-old Karter Ambrose died from a blunt-force injury to the abdomen and a lacerated liver, according to WGXA. His mother, 35-year-old Kianna Davis, brought him to the pediatrician on Nov. 17, 2020, due to vomiting and stomach pain, according to Courthouse News.
Davis and the man who was her boyfriend at the time, Kiyon Benton, were arrested connection with the death three years later, when the autopsy results were revealed; it was determined that the injuries occurred within 3 days of Ambrose’s pediatric office visit, per Courthouse News.
The seven charges Davis was facing were malice murder, felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children, felony murder, aggravated assault, second-degree murder, and second-degree cruelty to children. The jurors were unable to make a unanimous decision on them, per WGXA.
According to Courthouse News, only circumstantial evidence against Davis was presented to the jury by prosecutors, who asserted that Ambrose’s death was not an accident. Davis testified in her own defense and stated that Benton would have never harmed Ambrose. Daycare workers who had known the child since he was 9 months old stated that he never showed any physical signs of abuse. However, Ambrose’s father testified that Davis told him he could not see or talk to Ambrose on the day before he died.
WGXA reports that on July 17, Judge Katherine Lumsdon said, "The jurors have stated that we will have the same result on Monday. No further deliberations are needed…So, based on that, I'm going to declare a mistrial and excuse this jury." She will later decide on a date for a retrial.
According to WGXA, Benton could go on trial as early as November.
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