Deja Coleman, 29, a nursing assistant in Georgia, has been granted a temporary release from jail to attend the funeral of her one-year-old son, Daniel, who died after being left in a locked car. A judge approved the furlough for humanitarian reasons, an unusual step for a pre-conviction detainee.
Coleman was charged with murder and cruelty to children after Daniel was found deceased in her vehicle on July 29 in the Northside Gwinnett Hospital parking lot. Investigators believe the child was in the car for over eight hours, with temperatures inside reaching 117 degrees Fahrenheit. Coleman had reportedly dropped her two older children at daycare before heading to her shift at the hospital, failing to realize her infant son was still in the backseat. Her defense attorney stated that Coleman is a survivor of domestic abuse and was living in transitional housing, raising three young children as a single mother. He argued that her actions were a tragic mistake stemming from exhaustion.
Coleman has been held without bond at the Gwinnett County Jail since her arrest last month. Her attorney filed a bond motion revealing her history of domestic violence and her responsibilities as a single mother to a child with special needs. He has argued for the murder charges to be dropped, describing the situation as a mistake rather than a crime. Coleman's next court hearing is scheduled for September 9. The details of her funeral attendance, including security measures and duration, are to be determined by the Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office.