8-year-old Nicole Amari Hall lived in Gwynette County and everyone called her by her middle name, Amari. That’s how she liked it. Her grandmother described her as the brightest, most joyful kid, always smiling, always full of life. She loved simple things, cooking in the kitchen, playing dress up, and honestly, the kitchen was kind of her favorite place to be.
She adored her younger brother and sister and was always gentle, always caring with them. Amari lived with her siblings Jakari and her six-year-old sister Zire along with their mom, 27-year-old Britney Hall and Britney’s partner, 29-year-old Celeste Owens. The couple had been together for a few years and had recently moved into an extended stay hotel called Hometown Studios.
They had been living there for about 3 months and the kids were being homeschooled. Then came Sunday, November 21st, 2021. At 9 in the morning, a 911 call came in from Britney Amari was missing. The last time she had seen her was sometime between midnight and 1:00 in the morning inside their hotel room. Britney said she had locked the door with the inside latch before going to sleep, but when she woke up, the door was slightly open and Amari was gone.
Before calling 911, Britney said she searched the entire building herself, hoping, like really hoping, she’d just find her somewhere nearby. When she spoke to the dispatcher, she explained that Amari had autism and needed daily medication. She had never wandered off before. Still, Britney tried to stay hopeful, saying her daughter was very smart, very aware of her surroundings.
She also mentioned something that stuck out. If Amari had left the room, she probably wouldn’t have closed the door behind her. The latch made a loud clicking sound, something that would have woken everyone up. And when the dispatcher asked if Amari had ever run off before, Britney said no. But she admitted there had been some behavioral challenges, so she couldn’t completely rule it out.
Still, something about it didn’t feel right. Hey guys, let me pause you for just a second. I’ve been really curious about where everyone’s watching from. It’s actually pretty interesting to me. So, if you can drop a comment and tell me your city and what time it is for you right now. Thanks for taking a moment to do that. I really appreciate it.
Go ahead and share it below and um I’ll keep going. Right now, the desperate search continues to find 8-year-old Nicole Lamari 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 and 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. Celeste Owens, Britney’s girlfriend, told officers she couldn’t really add anything helpful at that point.
She explained that she had taken Amari’s younger brother and sister to their grandmother’s place that night. She said she got back to the hotel around 4:00 in the morning and went straight to bed. Not long after, she woke up to shouting, “Bittney Hall was screaming that Nicole Amari Hall was gone.” Within just a few hours, Amari’s description was everywhere across local media.
an 8-year-old girl about 4 foot 10, around 80 lb, last seen wearing a blue jacket with Tweety Bird and blue and white pajamas. She had her glasses on and those rainbow sneakers that lit up when she walked something that should have made her easy to spot. At first, officers focused on the room Britney and Celeste were staying in, but pretty quickly the search expanded to the entire hotel. Every room was checked.
Soon, K9 units were brought in and helicopters were scanning from above, widening the search area. Nearby businesses and buildings started handing over surveillance footage. Everyone was trying to piece together where she could have gone. By 4:30 that afternoon, after hours of searching, Gwynette County police said they still had no solid leads.
And interestingly, they also noted there were no clear signs of a violent crime at that point. They mentioned that Amari was new to the area, so she didn’t really have friends or family nearby she might have gone to. Officers continued canvasing the area, checking wooded spaces, walking through nearby businesses, trying to track any possible movement. There was still hope.
The sense was if everyone kept pushing, kept looking, they might find her and bring answers to her family. At the same time, investigators were also interviewing everyone close to her, Britney, Celeste, and even the two younger kids, Jakari, and Zire, trying to understand what really happened that night. >> The reason we’re asking you all these questions and we’re trying to get specific every detail.
It’s 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? Do they call you mom number two? Like, what? >> 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 or 5, could did you notice the kids were in their bed or >> I didn’t Well, it’s like I didn’t think to notice that she would go. >> So you you just wanted to go to bed. You weren’t really like checking 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 him. Yeah. And I’m like, “What? 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. 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 before you left with your sister, >> that was the last time I saw her.
>> So, when you were when you were leaving to go with your sister to 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 one parent. 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? >> No. >> 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 >> that’s wondering how I assume doors? >> Okay. Do you know anything about her whereabouts? >> No. I said 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 Owens told investigators that in her opinion, Nicole Amari Hall must have run out of the hotel on her own and then like someone saw her and took her. That was the version she leaned toward. The idea that Amari had somehow left the room, wandered outside and crossed paths with the wrong person.
But even as she said it, it raised more questions than answers. >> 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 problem. >> So So what do you think happened last night? >> What I think I think Mory 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.
I’m still learning her and still getting her to accept, you know, me because she does realize it was just her and her moment. 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. >> She trying to get it get into it with you when she gets upset. >> No, she’s just told she’s just telling me leave me leave me alone.
Like leave me 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, Larry? 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’s not sure.
>> We want to know where Nicole is. It’s not a if we find Nicole. >> I want to know 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’re going. 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 not 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? >> About 24 hours into the investigation, things took a serious turn.
Detectives decided to bring in the homicide unit. And that move alone said a lot. It meant they were no longer treating this as just a missing child case. Something about the timeline, the evidence, or maybe the lack of it was starting to feel off. >> 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 Tree Corners has been away from her home, away from her mother. John Sherik is live for us tonight from outside the mother’s extended stay hotel. Gwinnet County police have suspended their search for Amari until daybreak, although the investigation into her disappearance continues.
>> Gwinnet 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. >> Gwynet 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 lightup shoes. Winnette 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. >> As the hours dragged on, the situation only got worse. Temperatures were already dropping below freezing, making the search even more difficult. Jennifer Richter said they were doing absolutely everything they could, going back over every detail, reintering people, chasing down every possible lead, but um the longer it went on, the more critical it became.
And that sense of urgency, it was turning into real fear. Then suddenly everything changed. Investigators informed the media that suspects were already in custody and that they no longer believed they were searching for a living child, but for a body. Not long after that, another shocking development came out. Under intense questioning, Britney Hall gave a completely new version of events.
She claimed that Celeste Owens had killed her daughter and that she had helped cover it up. By the second day of the search, it all came to a tragic end. Authorities announced that at 10:45 that morning, the body of Nicole Amari Hall had been found. Britney led investigators to a wooded area near Stone Mountain Freeway in Dicab County.
There they discovered Amari’s body naked, partially buried in dirt and leaves. She had been wrapped in three trash bags tied together with rope. And even through the bags, you could still make out her small frame. She was found about 15 miles from the hotel. Police Chief JD Mccclure said his heart went out to Amari’s family.
They had worked tirelessly on the case, doing everything they could, but the outcome was not what anyone had hoped for. The medical findings were devastating. Amari had multiple skull fractures, broken ribs, severe blunt force trauma, cuts on her arms, a ruptured liver, and internal bleeding. Investigators determined that something or someone had struck her with such force that her liver was compressed against her spine. And there was more.
She weighed just 54 lb, about 30 lb under what would be expected. There were clear signs of malnutrition. The coroner ruled her death a result of prolonged abuse, including repeated blows to the head. It was classified as battered child syndrome. And honestly, at that point, the question wasn’t just what happened that night.
It was how long it had been happening. >> 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 for Amari, detectives started noticing something felt off.
The stories coming from Britney and Celeste didn’t quite line up, and that immediately raised some red flags. One detail in particular kept bothering them. It had to do with where Celeste said she was that early morning. The more they looked at it, the less it seemed to match up. And um that inconsistency quickly became something they couldn’t ignore.
>> The first time said, “I can’t recall the the time >> before 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. I mean, sun goes down at 5:00. >> Before that, it had to be night time. It the daylight wasn’t 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 5:00. Okay. >> As detectives kept digging, the story around Celeste started to fall apart even more.
It turned out that on the night Amari was said to have disappeared, Celeste wasn’t at her grandmother’s place, and she wasn’t with her sister either. That whole version of events just didn’t hold up. Then things got even stranger. Investigators found out that Celeste’s own family hadn’t seen her in months. So, like, this wasn’t just a small mixup or confusion.
It was a clear, verifiable lie. And at that point, you know, it became obvious that something much bigger was being hidden. And then when you get back >> that’s 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 wake up. Sometimes I just >> Well, I’m not talking about sometimes.
I’m talking about just yesterday. >> Just Saturday. Yesterday. Um came back around Let me give you the specific time. back with times. Um I think the morning I want to say cuz I came back it was evening it was dark. I want to say what 2:00 cuz I was in came back >> 2 a.m. came back in 2 p.m. >> 2 p.m. >> cuz Saturday sorry >> let’s start over.
Britney told police that before calling 911, she had spent a long time frantically searching the building and the parking lot like she was desperately trying to find Amari. But here’s the thing, none of that showed up on any of the surveillance cameras. Not a single clip backed up her story. And uh it didn’t stop there. The cameras also never captured Amari running out of the hotel or leaving with anyone at all.
So, um, when investigators put it all together, it became painfully clear this 8-year-old girl never walked out of that room alive. Then the medical examiner’s findings added another chilling layer. The timeline didn’t match Britney’s call at all. In reality, Amari had died 2 days before that 911 call was even made. But what really broke everything open was one of the interviews her sister Zier, who was covered in bruises.
During that conversation, she shared something that, you know, told investigators exactly what they needed to understand. Two days before Amari’s body was discovered, Celeste had told her that Amari had gone to something she called 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, “Mory, 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, “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 I say that she saw you take Nicole last night? >> She saw she didn’t >> Why would she say 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 brush that off,” then I’m not doing a good job. Okay? >> I wouldn’t purposely I wouldn’t purposely take her out, then call you to say she’s >> 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’ve 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 check phone call records. We’re checking uh camera systems or 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, they have probable cause for I’m not a proical cause.
I would rather have a lawyer before you go to them. >> When investigators finally got into Celeste’s phone, what they found was honestly horrifying. There were dozens of videos just awful to watch showing both women repeatedly hitting and abusing the kids. It wasn’t a one-time thing or some isolated incident. This was happening over and over again.
And then there was her search history, which only made things worse. She had been looking up things like what to do when a child completely refuses to listen, nearby lakes, how city sewer systems work, and why kids run away from home. On top of that, she searched how to report a missing person and had even been checking a U-Haul account.
Put all together, you know, it painted a really disturbing picture of what might have been going on behind the scenes. >> Okay? So, I just want to talk to you away from her, separate me. >> Yes. >> All I’m saying is just to clear things, I am discombobulated. I cannot give you exact times. If you feel like I wanted 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 can 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. Then 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.
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 cuz 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 the day, 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 it again. We give 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. >> On November 19th, the day investigators believe Amari was killed, security cameras caught Celeste renting a small U-Haul truck. Not long after that, she stopped by a dollar store and picked up latex gloves, bleach, and some drinks.
By 7:30 that evening, the van had already been returned, like nothing unusual had happened. Then just 30 minutes later around 8:00, Celeste was seen waiting for an Uber. But by that point, detectives were already starting to connect the dots. Using the truck’s route data along with cell phone signals, they were eventually led to Amari’s body in Delp County.
And within just a few hours, you know, the whole timeline started to come together in a way that was hard to ignore. What made it even more disturbing was the background information that surfaced. Britney had reportedly talked before about wanting to give Amari up for adoption. At the same time, Amari’s grandmother, Barbara, had repeatedly asked to take in and raise all three children, but Britney always refused.
Neighbors later said they hadn’t noticed anything suspicious, though they also admitted they barely ever saw the kids outside the hotel room. The children were like completely isolated. In the end, investigators believe Celeste delivered the fatal blow to Omari’s head and Britney helped cover it up. Together, they placed her body into trash bags and then Celeste, using that rented U-Haul, drove it away to dispose of it.
>> But the guy said, “Soon as we stepped out the door, you couldn’t do that.” >> So, what stories are y’all searching for your phone? What do you mean you can’t do that? >> Probable cause 51%. We have probable cause all day. I’m just wonderful. 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. >> How? >> You’re getting charged for obstruction, giving false statements. You’re not allowed to leave. So, you >> I’m being charged for lost statements.
>> You can sit down >> or I can 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. >> In the end, the charges against Celeste were as serious as it gets. She was indicted for first-degree murder, concealing a death, and seven separate counts of first-degree child cruelty. Britney, on the other hand, was charged with child cruelty as well, along with hiding the death of another person and filing a false report about a crime.
Amari’s brother and sister were taken into custody by the Division of Family and Children’s Services, where they could finally be kept safe. At the same time, law enforcement officers came together and organized a fundraiser among their colleagues. In less than a week, they had raised over $3,500 to support the children, which, you know, was one of the few moments of compassion in an otherwise heartbreaking case.
At their first court appearance, both Britney and Celeste were told there would be no chance of bail. And while that moment carried a lot of weight, Celeste’s reaction was unsettling. She didn’t seem concerned at all. Actually, she was seen laughing while signing the documents, like it didn’t affect her in the slightest.
Any other questions? >> Britney Hall faced a judge for the first time in a Gwynet County courtroom Wednesday. Gwinette 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 been denied since 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 dug deeper into the evidence, especially the videos found on Celeste’s phone, the statements from the other children and the medical examiner’s conclusions, the picture became a lot clearer.
Prosecutors came to believe that Britney wasn’t just aware of the abuse, she had allowed it and like even taken part in it. And in the end, they said that pattern of abuse is what led directly to Amari’s death. Because of that, the charges against Britney were significantly upgraded. She was now facing a murder charge as well.
Eventually, she was formally indicted for felony murder, multiple counts of child cruelty, concealing the death of another person, and giving 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 weren’t the one who delivered the fatal blow.
What’s especially troubling is that this family had already been on the radar of social services for years. Despite that, the situation never escalated into a full investigation. A representative from the Department of Human Services explained that earlier reports involving Nicole Amari Hall included unconfirmed investigations back in 2015 and 2017 along with a report in 2021 that didn’t show any signs of abuse or neglect.
So based on those records, the agency didn’t have grounds to believe the children were in immediate danger at the time. Still, they stated that they are now working closely with law enforcement to support the investigation and to make sure the other children in the family are safe and cared for moving forward.
>> 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. Paul’s trial will happen at a later date.
>> Three years after Omari’s murder, Celeste Owens, who had pleaded not guilty to every single charge, finally stood trial. By that point, the list of accusations against her was extensive. She was facing charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, multiple counts of child cruelty, concealing the death of another person, and uh making false statements to police.
The two women were tried separately, mainly because Britney had shifted all the blame onto Celeste. During the trial, Celeste’s public defender pushed back hard against the prosecution’s case, arguing that she wasn’t the one who killed Amari and didn’t inflict the fatal injuries. The defense kept emphasizing that um the prosecution hadn’t proven beyond a reasonable doubt exactly who caused Amari’s death, and that uncertainty they claim should matter.
In each of the crimes, 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 failed to party. Every single one. You saw that. You heard Dr. Young say that.
So remember, because of the five batter 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 lit or the fatal blow. It could be Britney. It could be Celeste. It makes no difference. They are both guilty.
And today is her day. During the trial, one of the most powerful moments came when a young girl took the stand and began to speak about what life had really been like. She described how she was forced to sleep on the floor without any blankets and how just to pass the time, she would stare at the wall because like they weren’t even allowed to have toys.
And uh that was only a small part of what she had been through. There were so many other horrific details in between, things no child should ever have to experience. And yet, as she spoke, she remained incredibly composed. Honestly, considering everything she had lived through and witnessed, her calmness was almost unbelievable.
She came across as strong, steady, just an incredibly brave girl. Amari’s grandmother, Barbara, who the kids lovingly called Gigi, also testified. She said she had absolutely no idea that any physical abuse was happening. In fact, she only learned about it the same way everyone else did through the media.
There had been a time when Amari and her siblings were living with Barbara, going to school, and you know, just having a normal routine. Barbara made it very clear that the troubled child Britney had described was not Amari. She remembered her as kind, well-mannered, and really bright. Amari loved learning, enjoyed going to school, and never caused scenes or acted out.
Toward the end of 2020, the children went back to live with Britney. Barbara didn’t want them to leave, but she and her husband had no choice. They had to say goodbye, and over time, they lost contact. She kept trying to reach out, calling Britney again and again just to speak with the kids, but nothing ever worked.
Eventually, she didn’t even know where they were living or what was happening in their lives anymore. >> 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, exhausting trial, one that was honestly painful for everyone involved, the jury finally reached a decision. It had been an emotionally heavy process from start to finish. And by the end of it, there was this sense that everything had finally come to a head.
In December 2024, the verdict was announced. Celeste Owens was found guilty on every single charge. >> Account one, malice murder. You are hereby sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Counts seven merges with count three. Counts six merges into count three and count five merges count two.
On the remaining counts, counts 8 through 18 and counts 19 and 21, the court does hereby sentence you to consecutive 235 years. So, life without parole plus 235. >> In the end, the sentence was as heavy as the crimes themselves. Celeste was given life in prison plus an additional 235 years. The judge, Angela Duncan, who had been overseeing the case since both women were first denied bail, addressed her directly during sentencing.
She made it clear that Celeste would never again see the light of day to inflict that kind of cruelty, inhumity, and evil on another person. Britney, who was 31 at the time, had initially denied everything. But in September 2025, she reached a deal with prosecutors. She pleaded guilty to felony murder, 11 counts of child cruelty, concealing a death, and making false statements.
She was also sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors later said that what they had seen during the case was something they could never forget, that they would never be able to unsee the footage or unhear the testimony. One of them even called it the most horrific child-related case they had ever encountered.
They emphasized that this was a mother who failed to protect her children and instead became part of the abuse and that in the end it led to tragedy. Still, they expressed hope that the children might one day begin to heal and that the verdict could bring at least some sense of closure to the family. Amari’s brother and sister are no longer in the care of the Division of Family and Children’s Services, and from what’s been reported, they are now living with their grandmother, Barbara.
They survived, but you know, their lives will always carry the weight of what happened that night. Barbara spoke about her loss in a way that was just heartbreaking. She said she would never get to watch Amari play sports, never teach her how to drive, never see her go to prom, or share those everyday moments that grandparents are supposed to have.
She described her heart as shattered into millions of pieces, and said she didn’t know how to put it back together. This case stands as a devastating reminder of just how vulnerable children can be and how deeply abuse can lives. Amomari’s life was only just beginning and it was taken by the very people she should have been able to trust the most.
Every child deserves safety, love, and a future. and Amari.
