Slain toddler's sister testifies against former foster parents in murder trial

ATLANTA — The trial of a couple accused of killing their 2-year-old foster child got emotional in Henry County today as jurors heard from the girl's older sister.

Jennifer and Joseph Rosenbaum are accused of killing Laila Daniel in 2015. Friday was day five of the trial.

Jurors first heard from Amanda Harrill, who adopted Laila's older sister, Millie, after Laila’s death. Harrill told the court Millie would sometimes bring up her time with the Rosenbaums.

“One of them being that she and Laila would get in trouble if they fell asleep in the car, and they would receive spankings,” Harrill said.

Jurors then heard from Millie. Prosecutors asked her about when she lived with the Rosenbaums.

She said she was 5 at the time. Millie told jurors both she and her sister would get spankings from Jennifer Rosenbaum for things like not getting dressed fast enough. Millie told the jury Jennifer would use her hand and sometimes a belt to discipline both her and her sister. The little girl told the court that Joseph Rosenbaum would not intervene.

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Larita Brown told jurors she was the girls' first foster parent in 2015. She says Lalia was a joy to be around.

“She was a sweetheart. She was always clinging to me, hanging on my toes, laughing. If you were trying to go, she is going to run out the house behind you,” says Brown.

Brown told the jury when she first met Jennifer Rosenbaum, that she told her she knew Lalia and her sister’s biological mother.

“(Jennifer) said her and Tessa (Laila's birth mom) were in foster care together. She said they didn’t get along at first, but they became friends. Then when she found out (Tessa's) kids were in care, she wanted to give back,” says Brown.

The jury also heard from the woman who approved whether or not the couple could foster the girls. She told the court they never attended the required classes to become foster parents.

Before witnesses took the stand Friday, there was an issue with a sleeping juror who asked the judge to be dismissed. The judge denied that juror's request.

Court resumes on Monday.

Cox Media Group