HAMPTON, Va. – A Hampton toddler was tortured and then killed months ago. Now prosecutors say the boy's mother is responsible.
Authorities charged Noah Tomlin's mother with murder Thursday after her son's body was found in July.
Hampton Commonwealth's Attorney Anton Bell gave an update on the case because he wanted to make sure the public knows what happened.
Noah's cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head and battered child syndrome.
He had severe skull fractures, the same injuries that would be seen if he had fallen several stories.
Bell said that most of the child's body was not recognizable.
An anthropologist had to piece together bone fragments, which show prior injuries, including jaw and rib fractures that had healed.
Some of his injuries would have stopped his bones from growing.
"There's no doubt in my mind based on this evidence that this child was tortured," said Bell. "Justice would look like Julia Tomlin being held fully accountable for the death of her son."
Police believe from the mother's statements that she and she alone killed her son.
They are looking at the potential that someone else helped her hide the toddler's body in Hampton, but they're not sure if that person knew exactly what they were involved in.