A former beauty queen has appeared in a Georgia courtroom, a world away from the pageant stage, to face charges of murder and cruelty to a child. Trinity Madison Poague, 20, stood before a judge on Tuesday in connection with the death of 18-month-old Romeo 'Jaxton' Angeles, who was found unresponsive in her university dormitory in January 2024.
A Stark Contrast in Court
The young woman, who once held the title of Miss Donalsonville, presented a starkly different image to her glamorous pageant persona. Dressed in a simple pink sweater with a diamond necklace and her hair in loose waves, she sat nervously, twirling her rings and avoiding the gaze of courtroom cameras. Prosecutors allege that the toddler, who had been in her care, died from catastrophic blunt force trauma.
The indictment states the child suffered serious disfigurement to his liver and brain injuries so severe they rendered the organ 'useless'. Jaxton was pronounced dead in hospital hours after being discovered in Poague's room at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus.
The Night Before the Tragedy
District Attorney Lewis R. 'Bud' Lamb outlined the events leading to the child's death. He told the court that Poague and her boyfriend, Julian Williams, had dined with the toddler the night before. Poague later texted a roommate, Paris, saying she was 'stuck' with the child and that he 'hates me and I hate him'.
She allegedly asked her roommate to sleep in her room as the boy was being fussy. Poague initially claimed the child had 'rolled off the bed' but was okay, later changing her story to say he had fallen from an air mattress. Videos taken that night showed no visible bruises on Jaxton.
A Catastrophic Injury
The situation changed dramatically the following day. While her boyfriend was out, Poague allegedly called him to say the child was not breathing. Rushed to hospital, Jaxton was pronounced dead around 4pm.
'By the time the child got to the emergency room after spending 35 minutes in that room with Trinity Poague, he had fresh bruising on his face,' Lamb stated. The toddler had brain bleeds, bruises on his face and neck, a lacerated liver, and a skull fracture.
Lamb described the head injury as 'catastrophic' and 'acute', asserting it could only have occurred minutes before the child arrived at the hospital and was inconsistent with a simple fall.
Defence Claims Lack of Evidence
Poague's defence attorney, WT 'Tim' Gamble III, argued the prosecution had 'no evidence of a crime occurring at all'. He suggested Williams was a 'controlling boyfriend' who had been drinking and pointed to a lack of forensic evidence like blood, DNA, or spittle in the dorm room.
Poague, a former standout student named to the President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program and a nursing freshman, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The charges against her include malice murder, first-degree cruelty to children, and two counts each of felony murder and aggravated battery. If convicted, she faces life in prison. The Miss Donalsonville organisation stripped her of her title following her arrest in January.
