VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A North Carolina woman was arrested in the 2018 beating death of her 7-year-old daughter in the DeLand area, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office said.
Janee Dickson, 26, is being charged in connection with the death of her daughter, Kamia Kamia, who was beaten to death in March 2018, deputies said.
Investigators said an autopsy determined Kamia had hemorrhaging of the soft tissue in her legs, back and backside, which were likely a result of physical abuse.
The cause of death listed in the autopsy report was blunt force trauma and the manner of death was ruled homicide, officials said.
During interviews with detectives, Dickson said Kamia was playing on the slide at a playground. However, Dickson’s boyfriend, Brandon Williams, told investigators that Dickson struck Kamia on multiple occasions to an extent that exceeded parental discipline.
As the investigation continued, Dickson changed her story and admitted to detectives that Kamia had been physically disciplined, but she claimed it was Williams who did it.
Dickson said Kamia kept asking to stop and use the bathroom while the family was driving. Dickson said Williams drove to a DeLand-area side street, pulled Kamia out of the car and beat her for 15 to 20 minutes with a blunt object.
Then, Dickson said Williams drove to Beresford Cemetery and beat Kamia again for 30 minutes with the same object, along with a second object.
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Investigators said they used GPS data from the phones of Dickson, Williams and Kamia to determine their locations on the day of the beating. They confirmed they traveled around the DeLand area and eventually ended up at a hospital.
Dickson did not call 911 or seek emergency help for Kamia during the beatings or afterward, even though she noticed Kamia was having trouble breathing all night.
Dickson said Kamia was constantly thirsty and couldn’t sleep.
The next morning, Dickson noticed Kamia’s body had gone limp and she was cold to the touch. That’s when she decided to to take Kamia to the hospital. When Dickson was asked if she thought Kamia died before she took her to the hospital, she said, “Basically, yeah."
Dickson said the day after Kamia died, Williams got rid of all the items used in the beating, as well as Kamia’s clothes and personal items.
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Williams denied all of of Dickson’s allegations and maintained that he never struck Kamia.
Dickson was arrested on a charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is in custody in Mecklenburg County and will be sent to Volusia County.
Officials said Dickson’s charge of aggravated manslaughter is based on clear evidence that she contributed to Kamia’s death by neglecting to provide her any care despite observing or causing her injuries.
Read Sheriff Mike Chitwood’s statement regarding the arrest: