Woman Sentenced to Life for Slamming Granddaughter Against Hard Surface, Killing Her

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By Xara Aziz. An Alabama woman has been sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of killing her two-year-old step-granddaughter, according to local news reports.

Pamella Shelton was charged and later convicted of felony murder and aggravated child abuse. She was sentenced late last week.

Investigators say the 57-year-old violently shook the toddler, Rosalie Rawls, and slammed her head against a hard surface. The incident took place in 2017.

During trial, prosecutors said the two-year-old suffered “extensive head injuries and abusive head trauma.”

The child’s mother, Quneshia Rawls, said she had left her daughter under her father’s care for a few days. When she returned to pick her up, she received a devastating call that her daughter was having a seizure. The victim was rushed to a local hospital where she died of her injuries.

“I never thought that she’d be evil enough to do this to a child,” said Rosalie’s mother Quneshia Rawls.(Quneshia Rawls)Twitter

The case initially went to trial in 2019 but resulted in a mistrial because of a procedural violation. Subsequently, the trial was put on hold again after the victim’s mother failed to appear in court to testify.

District Attorney CJ Robinson said at that time that he believed the grandmother shook and slammed the toddler out of “pent-up frustration.”

“Evil is real,” he said. “What Shelton did to this child was evil. I am proud of the Wetumpka PD and our prosecutors for never blinking an eye and staying focused in our search for truth and our pursuit of justice for Rosalie. She was a beautiful 2-year-old girl who deserved to have us fight for her with all our being. Also, thank you to the victim’s family for supporting us every step of the way.”

Shelton did not appear to show guilt or remorse nor did she ever accept responsibility for her actions, he said.

“I never thought that she’d be evil enough to do this to a child,” said Rosalie’s mother told a local news station. “I’m happy that now she’s not walking free. It won’t bring my daughter back, but at least now, it’s like a type of closure for me and my family.”