Authorities have charged a 22-year-old Georgia mother in connection with the tragic death of her 7-month-old son, who was found unresponsive inside a vehicle outside a Lee County business last month.
According to the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany on October 16, 2025, after the infant — identified as Novanni Truvan Simmons — was brought in unresponsive. Despite emergency efforts, the child was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
Investigators later determined that Novanni had been discovered inside a vehicle parked at the Kia dealership on Ledo Road, where his mother, Nylah Simmons, was employed.
The Lee County Coroner’s Office and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) launched an inquiry into the incident, and the infant’s body was sent for autopsy on October 17. The cause of death remains pending toxicology and histology results, according to officials.
On November 3, GBI agents arrested Simmons, charging her with second-degree cruelty to children and murder. She is currently being held without bond in the Lee County Jail.
Dougherty County Coroner Michael Fowler said that death investigations involving children often take time as medical examiners work to confirm exact causes.
“People get upset because they think after the autopsy you should have an answer,” Fowler explained. “If there is no visible trauma, it can take time for toxicology and histology results to come in.”
Authorities have not released additional details on how long the infant was inside the vehicle or the circumstances leading up to the discovery. The investigation remains ongoing.