Mom Who Allegedly Stabbed 13-Month-Old Daughter to Death
Photo: Court TV/YouTube; Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office
A Georgia jury swiftly delivered a verdict on Wednesday morning in the case of a mother accused of stabbing her 13-month-old daughter to death in 2020. Chloe Alexis Driver, 24, was found “guilty beyond a reasonable doubt but mentally ill” on all charges, which included malice murder, felony murder, first-degree cruelty to children, and aggravated assault.
The driver appeared emotionless as the verdict was read in court. The driver had previously pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. During her trial, which began last week, Chief Assistant District Attorney Katie Gropper described Driver as being part of a “polygamist group,” married to Benyamin Ben Michael, also known as Brian Joyce or “Z.”
Gropper claimed that Driver murdered their daughter, Hannah, because she wanted Ben Michael all to herself, as he had multiple wives. Dr. McLendon Garrett, a staffer at the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, testified that she had conducted a clinical interview with Driver following the murder.
She diagnosed Driver with paranoia and delusions, which are fixed false beliefs held despite evidence to the contrary. Garrett explained that Driver had told her she saw signs that Ben Michael and his other wives wanted her to kill herself and Hannah. The driver also believed she had “magical powers” and could read minds, as per Law&Crime and KFOX-TV.
Garrett described how Driver believed she was “downloading her sin” into her daughter through breastfeeding and thought she and Hannah were both “sinful.” Ben Michael reportedly told Garrett that Driver no longer referred to her daughter by name but instead called her “a sin.” Garrett added that Driver felt separated from the other wives and thought everyone was against her.
The prosecution argued that despite Driver’s mental health issues, she understood the consequences of her actions when she murdered Hannah. “It was very clear that she understood that she was killing Hannah and she understood the permanency of that decision,” the prosecution stated, emphasizing Driver’s “severe” presence of mind at the time.
In defense, Driver’s attorneys disputed the claim that she killed Hannah to eliminate her competition for Ben Michael’s attention, noting that if this were the case, Driver would have targeted Ben Michael’s other wives as well.
They urged the jury to find Driver not guilty by reason of insanity, arguing that she was in a delusional state and unable to distinguish right from wrong. Justice for Hannah in this case is getting her mother the treatment she needs,” the defense concluded.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
