A Peachtree Corners mother has been sentenced to life imprisonment after a horrific case of filicide shook the community in October last year. A'zaria Burton, 23, received a life sentence plus an additional five years following her guilty plea in court for the murder of her 5-year-old son, Jayveon Pruitt. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, Burton admitted to charges including malice and felony murder, aggravated assault family violence, first-degree arson, possession of a knife during the commission of a felony, criminal attempt to commit a felony, and misdemeanor tampering with evidence.
The case, which originally captured headlines last year, involved Burton stabbing her young son 22 times before attempting to burn their apartment down in an apparent effort to conceal the crime. Having dropped off her boyfriend at work prior to the incident and ending a text to him with "I love you… bye!", she was later found in soaked clothing hiding in the woods behind the apartment, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta. While behind bars before the sentencing, Burton told authorities about the stresses she faced, including pregnancy and impending eviction.
During the hearing, Burton remained silent notwithstanding the court giving her multiple opportunities to speak, showing a lack of emotion that was noted by those present. Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson was quoted in the FOX 5 Atlanta coverage stating, "This is not motherhood as it should be," condemning the act as a "senseless murder of a child."
Jayveon's father, Daquarius Pruitt, has frequently been vocal about the loving relationship he perceived between Burton and their son in the past, making the crime all the more bewildering. Pruitt, who looked forward with his son playing a video game the night before the tragedy, never received a call back from his son. He told 11Alive in an interview, "I just hope he wasn't up or knew that she did it. I just hope he was asleep," expressing his deepest wishes and speaking to a shared grief in the community.
