Prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty for a Georgia woman charged in the murder of 4-year-old Autumn Fox, who was beaten to death before her body was hidden, according to court filings.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Jessica Motes, of Hall County, Georgia, on charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery and first-degree cruelty to children after she was initially charged with concealing a death in connection with Autumn’s fatal beating, the agency announced in a November 2025 news release.
According to an indictment viewed by Us Weekly, Motes, 36, killed Autumn between October 25, 2025, and October 26, 2025, “by subjecting her to blunt force trauma by means unknown to the grand jury and exposing her to fentanyl, methamphetamine and xylazine.”
The filing also states that Motes caused Autumn “cruel and excessive physical and mental pain” and noted that she broke Autumn’s arm.
On October 26, Motes’ father saw her driving to a shopping center parking lot in Oakwood, where she said she “hurt [redacted name]” and “I think she is dead,” according to a warrant obtained by WXIA-TV.
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Afterward, authorities found Autumn’s body inside the trunk of Motes’ vehicle, the warrant says, the TV station reported.
Motes was not related to the girl, who had been placed to live in Motes’ home by the state, prosecutors told WXIA-TV.
Motes’ defense attorney did not immediately return a request for comment from Us on Friday, March 6.
During Motes’ arraignment on Monday, March 2, she did not accept an offered plea deal, according to court records filed by prosecutors on Wednesday, March 4.
The plea deal involved an offer of a life prison sentence without the opportunity of parole, according to prosecutors.
Motes’ attorneys told her that if she did not take a plea deal, prosecutors would seek the death penalty, court filings state.
The same day, prosecutors filed a notice of their intent to pursue capital punishment for Motes, court records show.
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The notice dated March 2 states that “The offense of murder” was “committed while the defendant was engaged in the commission of aggravated battery,” and that “the offense of murder outrageously or wantonly vile, horrible, or inhuman in that it involved torture, depravity of mind, or an aggravated battery to the victim.”
Hall County is about a 55-mile drive northeast from Atlanta.
If you or someone you know is experiencing child abuse, call or text Child Help Hotline at 1-800-422-4453.
