Autopsy sheds light on girl's suffering before beating death

MONROE COUNTY, Ga. — The Monroe County District Attorney says a lengthy forensic autopsy is now complete, six months after the deadly beating of a 5-year-old girl.

Richard Milam told Channel 2's Kerry Kavanaugh he received the meticulous report Friday. He didn't want to get into too many details. But, what he was able to share Tuesday shines a new light on how much Heaven Woods suffered long before her death.

Police found Heaven unresponsive inside a Monroe County home in May. The GBI's forensic autopsy has uncovered injuries she suffered which predate the day she was killed.

Milam said Woods had a "broken arm" and "multiple broken ribs" all in various stages of healing. Milam said and the results were "worse than anyone thought."

Earlier this year, Kavanaugh uncovered concerns Heaven was suffering abuse at the hands of her mother, Amanda Hendrickson, dating back nearly two years.

Channel 2 Action News pulled custody filings in Floyd County that show in October, 2012 Heaven's biological father, Anthony Woods, petitioned for primary custody of Heaven, telling the court that visitation with her mother should be limited because of violence towards the child.

While under a Division of Family and Children Services investigation, Hendrickson left Floyd County. She moved with Heaven to Monroe County, where they lived with her boyfriend Roderick Buckner until the day of Heaven's death.

Police arrested the pair that day.  Within days, Milam charged them both in Heaven's killing.

The forensic autopsy did not alter the cause of the death-- blunt-force trauma to the abdomen and extreme blood loss that had accumulated in the child's stomach.

As we have previously reported, DFCS investigated complaints against Amanda Hendrickson nine times leading up to Heaven's death.

Milam said he expects to take this case to a grand jury early next year.

WSBTV