Georgia Father Sentenced Life Plus 155 Years for Starving Daughter to Death

Rodney McWeay, a 33-year-old Atlanta father, was sentenced to life in prison plus 155 years for the starvation death of his 4-year-old daughter, Treasure McWeay, who died from dehydration and malnutrition in December 2023. McWeay was convicted on 14 counts including felony murder, child cruelty, kidnapping, and false imprisonment after it was revealed he locked his children in separate rooms with no access to food, water, or bathrooms, monitored by cameras, and subjected them to severe neglect. Despite intervention by the Georgia Division of Family & Children Services, which had removed the children from his home due to squalid conditions and abuse, McWeay abducted them from their mother in Maryland months before Treasure’s death. The case highlighted critical failures in child protection systems, with officials and advocates pointing to it as a tragic example of vulnerable children falling through cracks in the safety net. District Attorney Fani Willis described the case as a heartbreaking reminder of the consequences when young children are cut off from safety and support, expressing gratitude to investigators, prosecutors, and the community for securing justice. Treasure’s death has spurred ongoing concern and prayers for her surviving siblings and mother as they begin to heal.