Georgia – In a deeply disturbing case in Georgia that drew national attention, a 32-year-old father named Rodney M. was found guilty by a jury on all 14 charges related to the horrific abuse and neglect of his children, an ordeal that resulted in the death of his 4-year-old daughter, Treasure M., in what prosecutors described as a “house of horrors.”
Rodney was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, three counts of first-degree child cruelty, false imprisonment, kidnapping, and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
He now faces life in prison for what prosecutors call an extended campaign of cruelty against his three children. On December 11, 2023, authorities responded to a report of an unresponsive child being transported to a children’s hospital.
Treasure, a 4-year-old child, was later pronounced dead. According to the medical report, Treasure weighed only 24 pounds, which is far below a healthy weight for a child her age, and had less than an ounce of water in her stomach.
During his opening statement, District Attorney M. Hodge told jurors, “He controlled everything, so no one got in—not even law enforcement. “Until Treasure died.” The police immediately launched an investigation into Treasure’s death.
When officers arrived at Rodney’s house, he was gone. However, his two sons were inside and were taken to the hospital. Both were found to be severely malnourished, with visible signs of long-term neglect.
Authorities say the children were subjected to inhumane conditions for more than two years, from May 2021 to December 2023. During that time, Rodney locked all three children in a single room and only let them out when he gave permission.
Investigators found no food or children’s clothing in the house when they searched it. Instead, the house had numerous surveillance cameras, some of which were aimed directly at the children’s beds.
Prosecutors claimed that this setup was part of Rodney’s effort to maintain complete control and prevent his children from fleeing or seeking help.
In addition to the physical abuse, investigators described how Rodney isolated his children and kept them hidden from authorities.
In one shocking instance, after Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services removed the children from his custody in June 2023 following a complaint about the home’s conditions, Rodney traveled to Maryland, removed the children from their mother’s care, and returned to Georgia.
According to police, he stole the mother’s car and abandoned it at a train station to avoid being tracked.
Rodney remained on the run for about two weeks after Treasure died. Officers eventually arrested him after noticing him leaving the front door of his home, where he had been under surveillance.
During the trial, courtroom footage showed Rodney maintaining a stoic, expressionless demeanor as the guilty verdicts were announced.
Rodney’s defense attorney admitted that he made “some wrong decisions,” but insisted that he loved his children and had no intention of causing them harm. The jury didn’t agree.
Treasure’s death has become a symbol of system failure and unspeakable cruelty. She was once a vibrant little girl who was discovered severely dehydrated and starved, her life cut short by the very person who was supposed to protect her.
Rodney is likely to be sentenced in the coming weeks. Given his conviction for malice murder, he faces life in prison. This case has reignited discussions about child protective services, abuse detection, and the chilling reality that some children suffer behind closed doors for years before anyone steps in.
As the community mourns Treasure’s death, prosecutors hope that this conviction provides some justice for her brief life while also raising awareness of the horrors that far too many children face in silence.
