GA JAYCEON MATHIS: Missing from Vienna, GA - late 2021 - Age 4 *Found Deceased**GUILTY PLEA*

Update: Mother charged after human remains found in missing Vienna child case

The human remains were found in Cordele.

www.walb.com

GBI investigating missing child case in Vienna, mother in custody​

The mother of a Vienna missing child is now in custody, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

Agents said on Saturday, around 12:30 p.m., the Vienna Department asked for investigative assistance to find 4-year-old Jayceon Mathis. Mathis was reported missing by family members that say they have not seen him for several months.

Law enforcement said they have not been able to find the mother Keara Cotton, 27, since the complaint was filed on Jan. 20.

On Monday, Cotton was arrested and being charged with two counts of cruelty to children.

This investigation is active and ongoing.


MEDIA - JAYCEON MATHIS: Missing from Vienna, GA since late 2021 - Age 4

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Dooly Co. mother previously reported missing arrested, charged cruelty to children

UPDATE 8: 40 p. m. DOOLY COUNTY, Ga. -- The GBI reports that 4-year-oldJayceon Mathis is still missing. His mother,Keara Cotton, has been located and arrested. She is charged with two counts of cruelty to children. UPDATE 7:30 p. m. The GBI reports that Keara Cotton who was previously reported...

wgxa.tv

Dooly Co. mother previously reported missing arrested, child still missing
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the disappearance of a young mother and her child in the midstate.

The GBI states that the family of 27-year-old Keara Cotton filed a missing person's report for her 4-year-old son, Jayceon Mathis, on January 20.

The family told agents it had been months since they last saw Mathis. The child lived with his mother in Vienna.

Since the complaint was filed, law enforcement has not been able to locate Cotton.

UPDATE 7:30 p.m.

The GBI reports that Keara Cotton who was previously reported missing has now been arrested.

Now, only a few hours since the missing person reports were made public by the GBI, Cotton has been arrested and charged with two counts of cruelty to children.

UPDATE 8: 40 p.m.

The GBI reports that 4-year-old Jayceon Mathis is still missing.

His mother, Keara Cotton, has been located and arrested.

She is charged with two counts of cruelty to children.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I truly just despair at how rampant this seems lately/these days. Maybe it has always went on to this degree but I don't think so.

So many too that appear to have been missing long before reported and those cases don't seem to get solved so easily... So much time to have covered tracks and more...

I could name several recent ones off the top of my head... And that says something too...

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

GBI charges mom with murder, remains found in Crisp Co. - 41NBC News | WMGT-DT

GBI charges mom with murder, remains found in Crisp Co. from 41NBC News | WMGT-DT

www.41nbc.com

GBI charges mom with murder, remains found in Crisp Co.​

A missing person investigation is now a murder investigation.


Now, Cotton is charged with Murder, Concealing the Death of Another, and Cruelty to Children 2nd Degree.

The GBI says investigators gathered information that led to the discovery of human remains in Cordele, Crisp County near E. Sixteenth Avenue.

The GBI is sending the remains to the GBI Medical Examiner’s Office for identification.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Human remains found in connection to missing 4-year-old, mother charged

Family began to look for Keara and her children after fears arose she was abusing them.

www.41nbc.com

The Vienna Police Chief held a news conference Thursday morning, saying they received a tip that Keara Cotton was abusing her children. During the investigation, many attempts to contact Cotton had been made, though she responded to none of them, and failed to follow through with promises to allow officials and family see Jayceon. Family began to look for Keara and her children after fears arose she was abusing them.

Keara Cotton was found in Crisp County and taken in for questioning. Potential human remains that could be the body of Jayceon Mathis, were then found in the city limits of Cordele.

The remains were taken to the medical examiner’s office in Atlanta for an autopsy. The autopsy was performed on Wednesday, January 26, but the results are still pending.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Haven't seen any updates even though it's been two weeks since the remains were found.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

@kdg411 You're wonderful with public records, court records, etc. Are you able to see if anything is happening or pending for his mother, Keara Cotton? It looks like the charges are with the state, GBI. Possibly Crisp County. I've searched but have found nothing.
Just frustrated in the delay. I understand since he'd been "missing" for so long they're probably waiting on DNA to proceed.

 

[kdg411]

@kdg411 You're wonderful with public records, court records, etc. Are you able to see if anything is happening or pending for his mother, Keara Cotton? It looks like the charges are with the state, GBI. Possibly Crisp County. I've searched but have found nothing.
Just frustrated in the delay. I understand since he'd been "missing" for so long they're probably waiting on DNA to proceed.

Georgia is one of the hardest states to locate public records. Their judicial system is hard to navigate outside of the Atlanta (Fulton County) area. Vienna GA is in Dooly County & their judicial records are not online. I'll keep digging though & see if I can find another resource.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Georgia is one of the hardest states to locate public records. Their judicial system is hard to navigate outside of the Atlanta (Fulton County) area. Vienna GA is in Dooly County & their judicial records are not online. I'll keep digging though & see if I can find another resource.

It would be nice if they all did it and had easy sites/data bases. I find Iowa's difficult although maybe it has changed, the last I was on it, one had to search county by county, I couldn't find a way to search the entire state, etc. And then just the set up and pages. Some day if I ever get a life and some time, I am going to find sites for each state, etc., I don't even know with some of them.

Oh and Colorado has an odd one, you can find some "popular" current case info but not all. They are just all so different.

Wisconsin is statewide search or one can search by county and it searches for all types of cases, one does not have to pick criminal or civil, etc.

 

[noZme]

Published: Jan. 27, 2022

Memorial set up for 4-year-old Jayceon Mathis

“A lot of people in this neighborhood are hurting because this is devastating."

www.walb.com

Arrest warrants were issued for Cotton and Mathis was considered missing. Three days later, Crisp County Sheriff’s Office found Cotton. Information in her interview led investigators to human remains, in the woods behind the Olly’s in Cordele.

“We still have to wait for the results from that autopsy to determine if the remains were in fact baby Jayceon Mathis,”

At this time, there are no other suspects, and Cotton’s other child is safe staying with the family.

We are still waiting for the autopsy results. We will keep you updated with any new information.

 

[noZme]

Another January report. Seems identification is the hold up.

Thursday, January 27th 2022

On Friday, January 21, police said Cotton asked her mother to pick up her 8-year-old daughter from school. Cotton told her mother that she'd bring Jayceon with her later so his grandmother could see him.

Police said Cotton failed to follow through on this and officers continued to be unsuccessful in getting in touch with her.

By last Saturday, police had conducted several interviews and they said their "concerns grew that Cotton had been abusing both of her children."

That day, Vienna police asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Dooly County Sheriff's Office, and Crisp County Sheriff's Office for help on the case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Safe Streets Task Force was also brought in.

On Saturday and Sunday, law enforcement took out several warrants at locations in Crisp and Dooly counties.

This week, human remains were located in Crisp County in a woodline along E. Sixteenth St. behind Ollie's and Wendy's that officials believe are Jayceon's.

Those remains were taken to the GBI's Crime Lab in Atlanta for an autopsy that was finished on Wednesday, but authorities are still waiting for a final positive identification on them.

Police said Thursday that they believe Jayceon was killed in Dooly County. They believe his remains were left where they were later found in Crisp County because Cotton was on the run by then.

Officials are currently working through more interviews and awaiting the autopsy results.

Police believe Vienna mom accused of murder left son's remains behind shopping center

DOOLY COUNTY, Ga. (WGXA) -- Vienna police shared new information Thursday on the events leading up to the arrest of a midstate mother for the murder of her 4-year-old son. Officials said during a press conference Thursday morning that the Department of Family and Children Services contacted...

wgxa.tv

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Human remains found in Crisp identified as missing child - Cordele Dispatch

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By Neil B. McGahee Managing Editor Human remains found in Crisp County in January were identified today by the Georgia Bureau of […]

www.cordeledispatch.com

Human remains found in Crisp identified as missing child​

Human remains found in Crisp County in January were identified today by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation lab as 4-year-old Jayceon Mathis.

Following the identification of the remains, Cotton was charged with one count of murder and one count of concealing the death of another in addition to the two counts of second-degree cruelty to children.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Human remains found in Crisp identified as missing child - Cordele Dispatch

Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... By Neil B. McGahee Managing Editor Human remains found in Crisp County in January were identified today by the Georgia Bureau of […]

www.cordeledispatch.com

Human remains found in Crisp identified as missing child​

Human remains found in Crisp County in January were identified today by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation lab as 4-year-old Jayceon Mathis.

Following the identification of the remains, Cotton was charged with one count of murder and one count of concealing the death of another in addition to the two counts of second-degree cruelty to children.

So now they have the confirmation and new charges. Hopefully she goes away for good. My Jayceon RIP. So unfair.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

South Ga. mother sentenced in Dooly County child death case

According to the release, Keara Sade Cotton, 31, received her sentence on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, which marked what would have been her son’s birthday.

www.walb.com

South Ga. mother sentenced in Dooly County child death case​

According to a press release from District Attorney Brad Rigby, a Vienna woman has been sentenced to 25 years in the Georgia Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to murder in the second degree and concealing a death.

According to the release, Keara Sade Cotton, 31, received her sentence on Wednesday, Feb. 4, which marked what would have been her son’s birthday.


According to court documents cited in the release, while varying accounts were provided regarding the circumstances of the child’s death, the medical examiner was unable to determine an exact cause of death due to the advanced state of decomposition of the remains.


“I can think of no better justice for Jayceion than the conviction of his murderer on his birthday, February 4, 2026,” said District Attorney Brad Rigby in the press release. “The District Attorney’s Office is thankful to speak for the children who have no voice and preserve justice for them.”

 

[GrandmaBear]

South Ga. mother sentenced in Dooly County child death case

According to the release, Keara Sade Cotton, 31, received her sentence on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, which marked what would have been her son’s birthday.

www.walb.com

South Ga. mother sentenced in Dooly County child death case​

According to a press release from District Attorney Brad Rigby, a Vienna woman has been sentenced to 25 years in the Georgia Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to murder in the second degree and concealing a death.

According to the release, Keara Sade Cotton, 31, received her sentence on Wednesday, Feb. 4, which marked what would have been her son’s birthday.


According to court documents cited in the release, while varying accounts were provided regarding the circumstances of the child’s death, the medical examiner was unable to determine an exact cause of death due to the advanced state of decomposition of the remains.


“I can think of no better justice for Jayceion than the conviction of his murderer on his birthday, February 4, 2026,” said District Attorney Brad Rigby in the press release. “The District Attorney’s Office is thankful to speak for the children who have no voice and preserve justice for them.”

Well it isn't long enough but I guess considering they couldn't determine a cause of death, maybe that's why. I like that it was on his birthday that she was "put away". Fitting.