A Georgia woman, aged 23, has been sentenced to life imprisonment plus an additional five years for the brutal murder of her 5-year-old son in 2023. Azaria Shante Burton was found guilty of stabbing her son to death in their apartment before setting the building ablaze. The verdict was delivered by a Gwinnett County judge on Monday, according to official reports.
Burton confessed to a series of charges including malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault family violence, possession of a knife during a felony, first-degree arson, criminal attempt to commit a felony, and misdemeanor tampering with evidence. The charges were all related to the death of her son, Jayveon Pruitt.
Gwinnett County District Attorney Patsy Austin-Gatson expressed her dismay at the case, stating that motherhood should be about protection, not harm. She extended her condolences to the boy’s father and others affected by the tragic incident.
The incident came to light on October 19, 2023, when Gwinnett Police Department officers and firefighters responded to an emergency call about a fire at an apartment complex in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. Upon arrival, they heard a fire alarm from one of the ground floor units. Inside, they found an unresponsive 5-year-old boy with multiple stab wounds.
The boy, later identified as Jayveon, was rushed to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta for treatment but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. Authorities confirmed that Jayveon was the only occupant of the burning apartment when they arrived.
Police initiated a search for potential suspects and found an adult female near the scene. The woman, identified as Burton, was found with wet clothes and was wearing only one sock. She was taken into custody for questioning.
During the interrogation, Burton revealed that she was pregnant and facing eviction from her apartment. She confessed to planning her son’s murder a day earlier, purchasing flammable gel from a Dollar Tree store, and practicing setting it on fire in her trash can.
Burton admitted to spreading the flammable gel in various parts of her apartment and stabbing her son. On the morning of the fire, she dropped her boyfriend at work, left his belongings and some money in their shared car, and texted him that she might not return. Burton remained silent and showed no signs of remorse during Monday’s hearing.