Trinity Madison Pogue, a former beauty queen from Georgia, emotionally faced the court as she received her sentence for the tragic murder of her ex-girlfriend’s young son.
Pogue, just 20 years old, was sentenced on Friday in Sumter County Superior Court for the felony murder of 18-month-old Romeo “Jaxton Dru” Angeles, who died in January 2024. She was acquitted of the more serious charge of malicious murder.
Tears streamed down Pogue’s face as she learned she would spend life in prison plus an additional 20 years, shortly after the jury delivered its guilty verdict.
During the sentencing, Judge W. James Sizemore Jr. expressed his sorrow, stating, “I don’t talk much during the sentencing. I heard what happened and I thought about the tragedy,” and then reiterated that Pogue would be facing life behind bars.
The horrific act occurred while Pogue, a sophomore at Georgia Southwestern State University, was in her dorm room. At the time, her boyfriend, Julian Williams, had stepped out to get pizza.
Pogue texted Williams, indicating that her son wasn’t breathing. He rushed back, only to find the child unresponsive, resulting in an immediate trip to the emergency room.
Despite attempts by medical staff to save him, Romeo was never stable enough and was declared dead before being transported to Children’s Hospital in Atlanta.
A week after the baby’s death, Pogue was charged with murder. During the trial, prosecutors claimed she was angry because she wished to have a child with Williams, suggesting she may have felt threatened by the presence of her girlfriend’s son.
Prosecutor Lewis Lam pointed out that Pogue had expressed a desire to have a child with Williams, emphasizing, “But that kid is different.” Evidence also showed that while Pogue was at the hospital, she searched concerning medical inquiries that raised further suspicions about her involvement.
Initial claims from Pogue suggested that the infant had eaten potato chips shortly before becoming unresponsive, but medical examinations later disproved this. Instead, it was revealed that the child had suffered significant blunt-force trauma to his head and torso, leaving him unable to survive.
Emergency room physician Dr. Michael Bassman noted discrepancies in Pogue’s account, pointing out that the injuries indicated a “direct blow.”
In 2023, Pogue held the title of Miss Donalsonville and participated in the National Peanut Festival pageant, although she did not win. Following her arrest on suspicion of infanticide, she was stripped of her title.
