She disappeared in the middle of the night. No scream, no sound, like she had simply been erased. The hotel room door had been locked, but by morning, it was found slightly open, and the 8-year-old girl was gone. No camera ever captured her leaving. No one saw anyone take her, and there wasn’t a single trace of what happened that night.
At first, everyone thought she had run away. Then, they believed she had been abducted. But as the search went on, hour by hour, something about this story started to feel wrong. Because the deeper investigators looked, the more the details just didn’t add up. And at a certain point, it became clear the truth was far more disturbing than anything anyone could have imagined.
This is the story of a disappearance that from the very beginning was built on lies and what really happened behind closed doors that night. 8-year-old Nicole Omari Hall lived in Guette County, Georgia. She preferred to go by her middle name, Omari, and her grandmother described her as the happiest, most vibrant child.
They loved cooking together, and honestly, being in the kitchen and playing dressup were her favorite things to do. She absolutely adored her younger brother and sister and was always so affectionate with them. Amari lived with her brother Jakari and her six-year-old sister Zire along with their mother, 27-year-old Britney, and Britney’s girlfriend, 29-year-old Celeste Owens.
Britney and Celeste had been together for several years and had recently moved into an extended stay hotel, Hometown Studios. They had been living there for about three months, and the kids were being homeschooled. All right, real quick. I’m going to pause for just a second. I’m really curious where you guys are watching from.
So, drop a comment and let me know your city and what time it is for you right now. Thanks for taking a moment to do that. I appreciate it. Now, let’s get back to the story. At 9:00 in the morning, a call came into 911 from Britney Hall. Amari was missing. The last time Britney had seen her was sometime between midnight and 1:00 in the hotel room.
She had locked the door before going to sleep, but when she woke up, it was slightly open and Amari was gone. Before calling for help, Britney searched the entire building. When she finally spoke to the dispatcher, the 27-year-old explained that Amari had autism, needed daily medication, and had never been out on her own before.
Still, she held on to hope because, as she put it, her daughter was incredibly smart. She’s very, very smart. Even though she’s autistic, she’s very aware of things, very observant. “This hurts,” said Britney. Britney and her kids didn’t have any family in the area. So, there was really nowhere Amari could have gone on her own unless someone forced her.
And when the dispatcher asked if Amari had ever run away before, Britney said no. But she did mention that they had been dealing with some behavioral issues, so at that point they couldn’t completely rule it out. Britney also explained that if Amari had left the room, she likely wouldn’t have closed the door behind her.
The latch made a noticeable noise loud enough that it could have woken everyone up. Right now, the desperate search continues to find 8-year-old Nicole Amari Hall, who vanished from this hometown studio hotel here in Peachree Corners. Investigators say she’s been missing since early Sunday morning. Amari’s family tells us the 8-year-old is autistic and in need of daily medication, adding to the urgency of the search.
I woke up yesterday morning. My daughter was in here. The doors cracked. I went outside. I went to go around the whole place. I went twice. I did not see her. I called 911. Britney’s girlfriend, Celeste, said she couldn’t help much. That night, she had been out with her sister and they were spending time with their grandmother.
She got back around 4 in the morning and went straight to bed until Britney woke her up yelling that Amari was missing. Just 3 hours after the report came in, Amari’s description was already all over local media. 8 years old, African-Amean, about 4’10, weighing around 80 lb. She was last seen wearing a blue Tweety Bird jacket with blue and white pajamas.
She also had her glasses on along with rainbow colored shoes that lit up when she walked. The search started in Britney and Celeste’s room, but quickly expanded to every single room in the hotel. Not long after, canine units arrived on scene, and helicopters began sweeping the surrounding area. Nearby buildings and businesses began turning over their surveillance footage, and at that point, every available resource was focused on finding the 8-year-old girl.
A few hours into what had already become a large-scale search, at around 4:30 in the afternoon, police said they still had no significant leads, but they also weren’t seeing any clear signs of foul play. They explained that Miss Hall was new to the area, so she didn’t have many friends or relatives she could have gone to. Officers were canvasing the area, patrolling the neighborhood, searching through nearby woods, and checking local businesses trying to figure out where she could have gone.
Wherever she is, I believe that with the help of the public alongside law enforcement and all available resources, we’ll be able to find her and give the family some answers. Meanwhile, interviews with Britney, Celeste, Jakari, and Zire continued. The reason we’re asking you all these questions and we’re trying to get specific every detail is not because we’re like what’s Celeste doing? It’s it’s because we’re trying to figure out at some point this child has gone missing and the best way for us to figure that out even if it seems doesn’t
doesn’t make sense like why are they asking this? What’s this have to do with that? We want to know every specific detail for for every moment that you went through in the last like 72 hours. We can put everything together and we can figure out okay so where’s the 8-year-old? What’s going on? But in order for us to build this crazy picture to be able to try to figure that out, we got to know everything.
Um, how did the kids know you? Like, do they call you Celeste? Did they call you mom number two? Like, what? Dad, they call you dad. Okay. And what time was that when you got back yesterday? It was around I want to say cuz I came I came back before she went to the store. And when she came back, I left. And then I got back around I want to say 4ish close to 5ish. I’m not sure.
So, when you got when you got back from grandma’s house, you said that was 4 5:00 p.m. No, 8 a.m. 5 a.m. Now, when you get back around 4:00 or 5, could did you notice the kids were in their bed or I didn’t get Well, it’s like I didn’t think to notice that she would go. So, you just you just wanted to go bed.
You weren’t really like checking there or not. You just assume they were. And was Britney Britney was home when you did that when you got in? Okay. I was asleep and that’s when Britney woke me up and said, “Hey, you know, we got to find her. We got I’m like, what what happened? What’s going on?” And then that’s when she went outside and started looking.
When When was the last time you actually saw Nicole? Saturday. The last time I saw her was when before I left that previous before um Britney came back and before I left, that was the last time I So Britney gets back from BP as you’re leaving with your sister. You do see Nicole.
If you see her there, you know she’s there. When I got back from the store, I didn’t know for sure. But before she left the store, she was there. But when I got back at early that morning, I didn’t look to see. Okay. So So before you left with your sister, that was the last time I saw So when when you were when you were leaving to go with your sister grandma’s house, that’s when you saw her there.
She never like then even even if she wants to go outside, she’ll always ask both of us. She don’t just ask my parents, she’ll ask both of us. Do you know where Nicole is? No, I don’t. No. Did you take Nicole from the home? I did not take Nicole. Did anything happen with to Nicole within the last 24 hours that you’re aware of that caused her any type of injury? You know, is Nicole alive that you’re aware of? That I’m aware of.
Is she dead that you’re aware of? No. No. Okay. Do you have any reason to believe that she would not be okay other than You guys wondering how about it? I assume doors. Okay. Do you know anything about her whereabouts? No except the same thing we’ve been saying 20 times today. We’re going to step out for a second.
We’re going to go talk to Britney for a little bit and then we’ll get back to you. Okay. Celeste said that in her opinion Amari may have run out of the hotel, but then someone could have seen her and taken her. What? And with all saying, what do you think happened with Nicole? I’m going tell you from my personal experience.
Two years ago when I got back with um Britney because we were together before but before she had kids and then we separated and then I we came back together. Um my one-on-one relationship with her was she was a a sweet child but the only thing was her behavioral problems. So So what do you think happened last night? What I think I think Mor probably got super mad.
Like it could be a thousand reasons. I really don’t know what goes through I’m not the mother. Okay. So I really don’t know what goes through this girl’s mom. still learning her and still getting her to accept, you know, me because she does realize it was just her and her mama. Now I came into the picture.
So I don’t know if it’s probably was different for her, like who is this person and trying to understand. Does she try to get get into it with you when she gets upset? No, she just told me she just tells me leave me leave me alone. I’m like leave it alone. And then when she’s done, probably an hour later, she’ll probably come back and be like, I apologize.
And I’m like, you know, it’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay. So what do you think happened? I literally think she just god forbid but I literally think that I really think that she just of course ran away but I literally think that God forbid somebody snatched her up. We want to know where Nicole is. It’s not a if we find Nicole where Nicole it’s a when we find Nicole we’re going to find her.
Yeah. If it’s within the next couple hours within the next couple days we’re going to find her. Okay. It’s just a matter of when. We know something happened. We know she’s somewhere. And I think that you know where she is. It’s just how you go. We got to this is this is just what we got to do.
We got to we got to talk. I’ve been in this predicament before where someone murdered my mother and they didn’t come at me like this when they sat me down. They just let me write everything and they just went off that. But it’s like it’s just I’m just being real with you. It’s like how you come at me. I think you did this.
I think you know you just said it. I know. I think you know where she is. It’s like if you think I know him, what are you trying to get me to say? At the 24hour mark, detectives brought in the homicide unit. Also breaking for you right now, the search continues for that missing 8-year-old girl in Gwynet County who police say is in danger tonight.
This is the second cold night that Amari Hall from Peach Street Corners has been away from her home, away from her mother. John Shurik is live for us tonight from outside the mother’s extended stay hotel. John, Gwynet County police have suspended their search for Amari until daybreak. Although the investigation into her disappearance continues, Gwinet County Police conducting a grid search of these woods between the hotel where Amari lives with her mother and Peach Tree Industrial Boulevard.
We are working every lead and we are looking at every angle. Gwinet County Police Sergeant Jennifer Richtor says the mother and Amari moved to the hotel a couple of months ago and have no relatives living nearby. Among the searchers, volunteers from Alpha Team K9 Search and Rescue. Amari wears eyeglasses and may be wearing rainbow light up shoes.
Gwinnette County police are saying that it is more urgent by the hour that someone find her soon and they’re hoping everyone involved in this investigation is hoping that someone will spot her soon and call 911. All right, John. Hoping for a safe, quick recovery. Thank you so much. Temperatures dropped below freezing, making the search even more difficult.
Guette County Police Sergeant Jennifer Richter said, “At this point, we’re doing absolutely everything we can to generate any kind of leads. We’re going back reining anyone we need to, talking to everyone.” But with this much time having passed, this has become a critical incident. It’s very concerning. But very quickly, everything changed.
Investigators told the media they already had suspects in custody in connection with Amari’s disappearance and they strongly believed they were no longer searching for a missing child but for her body. And then another shocking update. Breaking the mother of a missing child arrested and charged.
Brittany Nicole Hall is in the Gwet County Jail right now on multiple cruelty to children charges. Investigators say they’ve gone roomto room enlisted the help of canines and a helicopter in their search. Still no Amari. They tell me they’ve combed through the surveillance video from the hotel and add they’ve found something concerning but are unwilling to release those details at this time in order to protect the investigation.
As police work to uncover the truth, neighbors here at the Hometown Studio Hotel remain baffled at how this young girl seemed to vanish in plain sight. Nobody heard anything. Nobody heard anything, any commotion or anything. Eventually, under the pressure from investigators, Britney gave a new version of events.
She said that Celeste had killed her daughter and that she had helped cover it up. Sadly, by the second day of the search, it was over. It is with deep sadness that I report that at 10:45 this morning, the body of Amari Hall was found. Britney led police to a wooded area near a Stone Mountain freeway in Dal County.
That’s where they found Amari. She was naked and partially buried in dirt and leaves. Her body had been wrapped in three trash bags tied together with rope, but even through the plastic, you could still see her small frame. She was about 15 miles away from the hotel. Police Chief JD Mccclure said, “My heart goes out to the family of Amari Hall.
We worked this case tirelessly. We put everything we had into it. But unfortunately, this is not the outcome we were hoping for. Amari had multiple fractures to her head and ribs. There were signs of severe blunt force trauma, cuts on her arms, a lacerated liver, and internal bleeding. Something had struck her body with such force that her liver was crushed against her spine.
The medical examiner also noted that Amari weighed just 54 lbs, about 30 lbs under what would be expected. She showed clear signs of malnutrition. Her cause of death was determined to be prolonged severe abuse, including repeated blows to the head, what’s known as battered child syndrome. We compared statements that we had gotten from uh Britney Hall and also her partner Celeste Owen.
We compared those statements with evidence that we gathered and recognized that those statements were indeed false. Our investigation transitioned from a missing person case to indeed a homicide case. Within the next several hours, we will charge Celeste Owen with felony murder in connection with the death of Amari Hall.
Additionally, Britney Hall will be charged with concealing the death of another. We will continue to also investigate her role uh in this murder. Just a few hours into the search, detectives started to realized that Britney and Celeste’s statements didn’t line up. First of all, there were serious questions about where Celeste had actually been that night.
So, what was the first time Saturday that you left? The first time said, “I can’t recall the time. I can’t remember.” Morning, afternoon, evening. The first time I left, I went to the store. It was morning. went to the store that day and then came back and then left again and then helped my sister out and then came back that morning before she went.
Now, when you left again to help your sister out, what time was that? Left again before it was I couldn’t believe before dinner. Night time day. I mean, sun goes down at 5:00. Before that, it had to be night time. It the daylight was there. So, when you went to go help your sister, it was already night time.
We’re going on night. Going on night. So after, but in reality, Celeste wasn’t with her grandmother or her sister that night, and her family hadn’t even seen her in months. It was a lie that was easy to verify. Get back that Saturday morning. I mean, um, you talking about Friday? No, we’re still on Saturday.
So, we left. So, Saturday morning, I came back. Sorry. I’m just Okay, so let’s just Sorry. Sorry. Just breathe. Okay. So, you hang out with Britney all morning on Sunday. You go to the store, you come back, and then you leave again when it’s not when it’s kind of dark to go help your sister, and then you come back.
When you get back, sometimes I don’t work. Sometimes I just Well, I’m not talking about sometimes. I’m talking about just yesterday. Just yesterday um came back around let me give you the specific time. Uh what times? Um I think in the morning I want to say cuz I came back. It was evening. It was dark.
I want to say 2:00 cuz I was in. They came back 2 a.m. came back. Yeah. 2 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 2 cuz Saturday. Sorry. We’ll start over. We got Britney told police she had been searching the building and the parking lot for quite some time before calling 911. But here’s the thing. No cameras ever captured her doing that.
And there wasn’t a single recording showing Amari leaving the hotel or walking away with anyone. The 8-year-old girl never walked out of that room alive. Wakes you up. She calls 911 as she’s waking you up, you said. And then she goes outside and and she went and checked the whole parking lot. So that that was one thing I wanted to touch on too.
So we’ve checked several cameras. There’s a camera for the hotel. There’s the car wash across the street. There’s a there’s another camera. We’ve checked all those cameras. We have people checking those cameras right now. They never saw her walking around that hotel really this morning. Mhm. No.
Did you see her go walking around? I only saw her go down the steps and go down the side and by that time she’s already on the phone when I’m going. Now, another thing I do have to ask is is on on the side that something else might have happened, did these is there any reason something else might happen? Like maybe more got hurt and there’s an accident and we’re just afraid to talk about it, something like that.
Sometimes she is like that. You’ll ask her what’s wrong. I mean, I’m talking like last night, did something happen to her to where she got hurt real bad and and we’re coming up with this story to try to to try to get away from that cuz we’re worried that like when the police find out, they’re going to think something else happened and we’re going to get in trouble, like something like that.
But further findings from the medical examiner revealed something even more disturbing. Amomari had actually died 2 days before the call to 911 was ever made. And then one interview changed everything. Her sister Zire, who was covered in bruises, gave investigators the answers they had been looking for.
2 days before Amari’s body was found, Celeste had told Zy that Amari had been taken to the Bad Kids Hospital. Is there any reason why Zier would say dad took her sister to the Bad Girl hospital? To the Bad Girl hospital? Oh, she’s saying that because when my would act out, I’ll say, “My listen, if you can’t listen to us, you’re going to go can’t say defects, can’t say none of that, none of that stuff.
” I said, “Mory, if you can’t play with your sisters or you can’t negotiate, you’re going to go to this place.” And normally when we say that, Moria act right for at least 3 hours. Why would Zer say that she saw you take Nicole last night? She saw something. She didn’t see Why would she say that that that you took her last night and that she’s not coming back? I didn’t take her last night.
I don’t know why she would say that. Okay. We’ve got a missing 8-year-old. If if if a six-year-old says, “Hey, mom’s girlfriend took her and I just brushed that off, then I’m not doing a good job.” Okay. purposely I wouldn’t purposely take her out then call you to say she’s missing. And like I just said, it’s no nothing against you.
Nothing that I have against you or anything. We’ve got your phone. We got your girlfriend’s phone. We’re getting into those phones whether you guys like it or not. We’re getting search warrants. We’re going through them. We’re going to check location data. We’re going to check text messages whether they’re deleted or not. We’re going to check phone call records.
We’re checking uh camera systems for vehicles, vehicle tags, locations. We’re going to talk to every single person you guys have even thought about talking to in the past 5 6 days. Okay. So, to go through your phone, you want us to just get a search warrant then. You mind if we just look through it real quick? It’d be way faster.
Yeah. Proical calls for search. I’m not a proical cause. I would rather have a lawyer before you go to my phone. Investigators found dozens of disturbing videos on Celeste’s phone footage that showed both women repeatedly beating and abusing the children. They also uncovered her search history.
She had been looking up things like what to do when a child won’t listen, lakes near me, how street sewer systems work, why kids run away, how to report someone missing, and even a U-Haul customer account. Okay. So, I just want to talk to you away from her separate me. All I’m saying is just to clear things. I am discombobulated.
I cannot give you exact times. If you feel like a woman at the BP that time, run the camera back to the BP where you saw me with this hat. You don’t approach people like that to try to get something out someone because you think so. Then why would a little girl this? Why would a little girl? I’m telling you everything that’s going on.
And then when we come for help, you don’t really get help. That’s why a lot of people do things and just don’t call the cops and handle it their own way because it can flip just like what it did today. Like my dad always told me, anything could flip with cops. So, it just pisses me off because I’ve been out all day.
I’ve been answering you respectfully all morning. Respectfully all morning. And I get here and I’m in the room that I never been in before that I seen on first 48 and being chastised with questions trying to make me I think you did it. As soon as he said that, it broke me to the court. Cuz if I did it, I damn sure wouldn’t be in that hotel.
I’ll be going on the run because like I might as well take matters on my own my own hands or hire a private investigator like I wanted to do today. I said, “Babe, if they can’t actively find today, when we get up on money, we’re going to hire a private investigator to also help.” Information I gave you, the information, the information she gave you.
When she woke up, she was not there. That’s it. You can flip the bed. You guys check the bed 10 times. Go flip again. We gave you permission to go in there. If you guys asked us, but you guys kept coming in, kept coming in, which you know, you got to have warn come in anyway, but we open the door and let you come in.
So, it’s like just have some respectful. It’s like, come on. We wouldn’t be calling you for help if we I would have just got away with it. But on November 19th, the day investigators believe Amari was killed, surveillance cameras captured Celeste renting a small U-Haul truck. After that, she went to a store and bought latex gloves, bleach, and some drinks.
The truck was returned later that same day at 7:30 in the evening, and by 8:00, Celeste was already waiting for an Uber. By tracking the truck’s route and analyzing phone data, investigators were able to locate Amari’s body in Dolb County. Within just a few hours, everything started to come together. According to investigators, Britney had previously talked about wanting to give Amari up for adoption.
Her grandmother, Barbara, had offered multiple times to take in and raise all three children, but Britney always said no. Neighbors said they rarely ever saw the kids outside. They were almost always kept inside the room isolated. Police believe Celeste was the one who delivered the fatal blows while Britney helped cover it all up.
They wrapped Amari’s body in trash bags and then Celeste used the truck to dispose of her. But the guy said as soon as we stepped out the door, you couldn’t do that. So what stories are y’all? Search one for your phone. What do you mean we can’t do that? Proble 51%. We have probable cause all day. I just want our phone.
So I know but you’re not getting your phone. Well, you got to stay seated for what? Well, you’re not allowed to leave. How am I allowed to leave? Well, I’m telling you, you’re not allowed to leave. Why am I being detained? Yes, you are being detained. You’re getting charged for my obstruction, giving false statements.
You’re not allowed to leave. So, you I’m getting charged for lost statements. You can sit down or have the office detained? Well, listen. I’m telling you, you are. So, either you can sit down and relax. So, we’re both being detained. You are being detained. I’m being detained because because someone didn’t see me.
So now you want to know people didn’t see you. Multiple people that honestly are in your corner. You can’t even say they’re a biased witness because they’re not helping you out. Celeste was charged with firstdegree murder, concealing a death, and seven counts of cruelty to children. Britney was charged with cruelty to children, concealing a death, and making a false report of a crime.
Amari’s brother and sister were taken into custody by the Division of Family and Children’s Services. Agency employees organized donations and within just one week raised more than $3,500 to support the children. At their first court appearance, both Britney and Celeste were told there would be no bond. Celeste appeared completely calm.
She was even smiling as she signed the paperwork. There is no bond today. Any other questions? Britney Hall faced a judge for the first time in a Gwynet County courtroom Wednesday. Quinnette police say the woman told them where they could find the body of her 8-year-old daughter after her arrest Monday night.
There is no bond on the felonies have been denied. Says you’re a danger to the person. Only a superior court judge sitting in your case can grant a bond. Do you understand that? Do you know what that means for you? Means you’re going to be here for a while. Okay. Hall’s partner, 29-year-old Celeste Owens, also appeared in court.
She’s charged with felony murder, making false statements, cruelty to children, and concealing a death. Both women asked for an attorney, a judge assigning each of them a public defender. The judge said a date has not yet been set for next appearances. Until then, both women will remain locked up.
But as detectives continued reviewing the evidence, including the videos found on Celeste’s phone, testimony from the children, and the medical examiner’s findings, prosecutors came to a disturbing conclusion. Britney hadn’t just known about the abuse, she had allowed it. and at times even taken part in it. And that ultimately is what led to Amari’s death.
Because of that, the charges against Britney were upgraded to include murder. She was later formally indicted on felony murder, multiple counts of cruelty to children, concealing a death, and making false statements. In the state of Georgia, felony murder means someone can be found guilty of murder if a death happens during the commission of another serious crime, even if they didn’t personally deliver the fatal blow.
What’s even more troubling is that this family had been on the radar of social services for years, but no full investigation was ever carried out. A spokesperson for the Department of Human Services said, “Previous cases involving Nicole Amari Hall within the Division of Family and Children’s Services included unsubstantiated investigations in 2015 and 2017, as well as a report received in 2021 that contained no allegations of abuse or neglect.
Based on these records, DHS had no reason to believe the children were in immediate danger. We are working closely with law enforcement to assist in the investigation and ensure the safety and well-being of the mother’s other children. Well, opening statements are currently underway for Celeste Owens, one of the two women accused of killing an 8-year-old and trying to cover up her death.
Well, Owens and the child’s mother, Britney Hall. They were indicted back in 2022 for the death of Amari Hall. Hall’s trial will happen at a later date. 3 years after Amari’s murder, Celeste Owens, who had pleaded not guilty, went on trial. At that point, she was facing charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, multiple counts of cruelty to children, concealing a death, and making false statements.
The cases were tried separately since Britney had placed the blame entirely on Celeste. Celeste’s defense attorney argued that she was not the one who inflicted the fatal injuries and that the prosecution had failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt who actually killed Amari. Holds people accountable for the roles that they play in each of the crimes and she is responsible for the role that she played. They did this together.
Their method was together. So it doesn’t matter who delivered the fatal blow because ladies and gentlemen there was not one fatal blow. Every single blow was fatal to Hawaii. Every single one. You saw that you heard Dr. G say that. So remember because of the battered child syndrome that he explained that we’ll talk about again a little later. Every single blow matter.
It doesn’t matter just like it doesn’t matter who pulled the trigger. It doesn’t matter who the fatal blow. It could be Britney. It could be Celeste. It makes no difference. They are both guilty. And today is the prosecution’s case was incredibly strong. It included Zire’s testimony about ongoing abuse, the videos found on Celeste’s phone, U-Haul rental records, phone data, and a pattern of lies and inconsistencies in their statements.
Taken together, it painted a deeply disturbing picture. The footage on Celeste’s phone was so graphic that at one point a police officer on the stand had to look away while describing what was on the screen. Amari’s sister, who was 9 years old at the time, testified through a video link. She spoke about the abuse and about what Celeste had told her that night regarding the bad kids hospital.
Had toilet paper in her mouth and the next morning she wouldn’t wake up. emotional testimony Wednesday from Amari Hall’s now 9-year-old little sister. Whitney tried to wake her up and then after that um she got put in a container with a lid on it and got put in a trunk of a car and jealous. She also described how they were made to sleep on the floor without blankets, staring at the wall because they weren’t allowed to have toys and so many other things no child should ever have to experience. And honestly, despite
everything she had been through, she remained composed, calm, and confident on the stand. An incredibly strong and brave little girl. Amari’s grandmother, Barbara, who Amari called Gigi, also testified. She said she had no idea any physical abuse was happening. She found out the same way everyone else did through the news.
There had been a time when Amari and her siblings were living with her and going to school, and Barbara made it clear the so-called behavioral issues Britney had talked about. That wasn’t Amarie at all. She described her as kind, well-mannered, and bright. A child who loved learning, loved going to school, and never acted out.
At the end of 2020, the children went back to live with Britney. Barbara didn’t want them to leave, but she had no choice. She said goodbye and after that she lost contact with them completely. She tried calling Britney over and over just hoping to talk to the kids but nothing ever came through. Issue for the day um with the reminded proviso.
I know you guys want me to keep telling you this, but it’s very important that you not discuss this case, not research anything about this case, not watch any news or read any articles. Um and don’t let anyone discuss it with you. Does everybody understand that? All right. Very good. After a long and difficult trial, the jury finally reached a verdict.
A woman will spend the rest of her life behind bars after a Guinette County jury found her guilty in the death of an 8-year-old girl. In December 2024, Celeste Owens was found guilty on all counts. On count one, malice murder, the court sentences you to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
On the remaining counts, you are sentenced to a total of 235 years to be served consecutively. In other words, life plus 235 years. Judge Angela Duncan said during sentencing, “You will never see the light of day again to commit this kind of cruelty and evil against another human being.” 31-year-old Britney initially pleaded not guilty as well, but in September 2025, she accepted a plea deal.
She pleaded guilty to felony murder, 11 counts of cruelty to children, concealing a death, and making false statements. She was also sentenced to life in prison. The prosecutor said, “What we saw in this case, we will never be able to unsee. What we heard, we will never be able to forget. This is without question the worst case involving a child I have ever seen.
” This mother failed to protect her children and instead became part of the abuse. He added that he hopes the outcome will help Amari’s brother and sister begin to heal, at least in some way. Today, they are no longer in the custody of DCFS. According to reports, they are now living with Barbara. They survived, but what they went through will stay with them forever.
Barbara said, “I’ll never get to watch her play sports. I’ll never teach her how to drive. I won’t even get to see her go to prom. I’ll never get to do all the things grandmothers do with their granddaughters. My heart is shattered into millions of pieces and I don’t know if it will ever come back together.
This case is a heartbreaking reminder of just how vulnerable children can be. The devastating impact of abuse and how fragile innocence really is. Amari’s life had only just begun and she was taken by the very people she trusted the most. Every child deserves safety, love, and a future. Amari deserved so much more than the life she was given.
That’s where this story comes to an end. But cases like this are a reminder that real life can sometimes be more disturbing than anything you’d see in a movie. Behind every story like this are real people, real events, and questions that sometimes never get answered. If you found this video compelling, take a second to support the channel.
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