A woman is facing the death penalty after being accused of abusing a child and then ordering her Rottweiler to kill the 9-year-old girl. Tyshael Martin, 35, was seen in a video holding the 50kg dog on a leash at her home in Montverde, Florida, on June 16. In the video, she allegedly encouraged the dog to attack the terrified girl, Jamaria Sessions, even saying, “I’m going to kill her.”
Jamaria was found dead the next morning, with her body covered in bites, burns, cuts, and bruises. Her father, LoJuan Sessions, 27, is also charged with aggravated manslaughter for not protecting his daughter.
Justice officials are seeking the death penalty for Tyshael Martin, charging her with first-degree murder. Police found over 3,000 disturbing videos from home security cameras that showed the abuse the girl suffered, including burns and injuries before the dog attack.
One video shows the moment Martin let the large dog attack the girl on June 16. The next morning, paramedics were called to the house when 9-year-old Jamaria was found dead in bed. Court documents show that her body had many cuts, bite marks, burns, and bruises at different stages of healing. A report also says a video captured the family’s 103-pound Rottweiler attacking Jamaria.
Local news reports say that in one video, Tyshael Martin is seen holding the dog’s leash and encouraging it to bite Jamaria, who is lying on the floor, just out of view of the camera. The report goes on to say that in the next video, Jamaria is shown staggering around, naked and messy, with her hair in disarray and some of her extensions falling out. It seems the dog had bitten her head, pulling at her hair on Martin’s orders.
Martin then allegedly forces Jamaria to stand with her arms raised, but the girl is so badly injured she can barely stand. The report says that, angry, Martin kicks Jamaria hard, knocking her to the ground. Jamaria lay there, unable to move, moaning in pain, while Martin kept kicking her in the hip and stomach.
In one video, Tyshael Martin is seen grabbing Jamaria by her hair and dragging her across the floor. Jamaria barely resisted, looking confused and motionless. An autopsy later revealed that Jamaria died from blunt force injuries to her head, body, arms, and legs, along with burns on her right foot.
Martin is now facing charges of first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter, and child abuse. Prosecutors in Florida have said they plan to seek the death penalty. To do this, they need to prove at least one serious factor, and they argue that Martin’s “cold and planned” torture and murder is enough. Both Martin and Jamaria’s father are being held in jail without bail.
