A California Mother and Her Boyfriend Are Behind Bars After Her Daughter Was Found Dead in a Duffle Bag

A 9-year-old was found starved and beaten; her body stuffed in a duffle bag and left along the side of the road.

Now, the two people responsible for her safety are in prison. A judge in California sentenced Taquesta Graham and her boyfriend, Emiel Hunt, for the death of Trinity Love Jones.

Graham was Jones’ mother.

Hunt pleaded no contest to assault on a child causing death and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, according to KTLA. Graham pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life behind bars.

Jones’ remains were found by maintenance workers in the Los Angeles area on March 5, 2019, according to KTLA. The 9-year-old’s body was partially stuffed in a duffel bag and left down an embankment.

It took about a week to identify Jones’ remains.

A coroner determined the child had been beaten and denied food, according to KTLA. She also had an infection on her feet that made it hard to wear shoes. Jones’ body was scarred from head-to-toe, coroners noted.

After the remains were found, her family told CBS News that Jones loved dressing up like a princess. She was found wearing a shirt that read “Future Princess Hero.”

"My family and I are devastated about losing her. She didn't deserve any of this. She didn't deserve to be tossed out like trash," her cousin Sytrice Oldham-Edmond told CBS News. "Trinity will be greatly missed."

Graham later told police that Jones fell and hit her head weeks before her death, but the mom didn’t seek care because she was afraid of getting into trouble, according to KTLA. Graham said Jones had a large lump on her forehead, her eyes were swelling and she had a slurred speech.

Graham said Jones had a seizure, but she went back to work and the child slept in the backseat of the car.

A detective said Graham said she wanted to call 911, but Hunt convinced her not to, according to KTLA.