Family, friends mourn 2-year-old who was killed in Perry quadruple homicide
Family and friends of A’Layah Joyner, a 2-year-old who was killed in a quadruple homicide in Perry, gathered Saturday to remember her life at her funeral and call for justice.
Joyner was found dead in a trailer in Perry on April 4 alongside three other women — Beaulah Robinson, 82; Michelle Joiner, 51; and Tuquondra Robinson, 37. The Perry Police Department is investigating the incident as a homicide and named a person of interest, 34-year-old Michael James Jordan, on April 17.
Perry Police said there are no further updates on the investigation or Jordan at this time.
Jordan was in custody at the Houston County Detention Center on charges of aggravated stalking, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and violation of probation. Police haven’t provided an update on Jordan’s charges since he was identified as a person of interest.
Saturday’s celebration of life service for A’Layah brought together friends, family and community members.
Mourners stopped outside the sanctuary to pay tribute to A’Layah, whose body lay in a lilac casket surrounded by balloons and stuffed animals beneath a banner that read “Heaven Couldn’t Wait.” The room was quiet save for the occasional sniffle or whispered prayer.
Teresa Fears, Alayah’s aunt, remembers A’Layah as a kind and happy child who charmed everyone who met her.
“She was the perfect reflection of the happiness she carried inside,” Fears said during the funeral, her voice shaking as she spoke.
Connie Braswell, A’Layah’s godmother, recalled A’Layah visiting her family at their home in Florida shortly after Braswell moved there from Warner Robins. Braswell said some of her most treasured memories of A’Layah were made on the white, sandy beaches nearby, watching as she splashed in the water alongside her own children.
“We all played on the beach every day,” Braswell said. “I still look at those pictures.”
A’Layah’s mother, Janique Fritzgerald, said she remembers the pride she felt when people would approach her in the store and compliment A’Layah’s appearance.
“I just felt good about having a little, pretty baby with me,” Fritzgerald said. “I’m going to miss her.”
In addition to honoring A’Layah’s memory, her loved ones called for answers and justice for her death.
Family members allege that the Georgia Department of Child and Family Services placed A’Layah in an unsafe place after Fritzgerald was arrested in August 2024 on charges of cruelty to children and lost custody of A’Layah and her two brothers.
Fritzgerald said she had been living in an apartment with no furniture, and was struggling to keep food on the table after falling behind on bills and being denied food stamps. The children got out of the apartment one day and passersby contacted the authorities.
“[DFCS] tried to make me look like an awful parent when I was just going through it,” Fritzgerald said.
Fritzgerald was released for the funeral, but had to return to the Houston County Detention Center afterwards. She will go to court on April 30 to determine custody of her remaining two children, and is set to be released on May 15.
The Telegraph requested records from the Warner Robins Police Department documenting the incident, but they could not be released “because any record concerning child abuse is declared to be confidential.”
A’Layah was sent to live with her paternal great grandmother, great aunt and cousin — the three women found dead alongside her in the trailer. Fritzgerald, Fears and Braswell said A’Layah had not met any of the women prior to her going to live with them, and that Fears and Braswell had offered to care for A’Layah after the arrest.
The Georgia Department of Human Services, which oversees DFCS, said in a statement to The Telegraph that while it cannot disclose specifics about A’Layah’s case due to privacy reasons, state law dictates children in its custody must be placed with “vetted caregivers, ideally with relatives – particularly siblings – in their home communities or nearby.”
A juvenile court judge must also approve any placements.
A’Layah’s family members said they plan to keep seeking justice for A’Layah’s death, and to remember A’Layah for her sweetness and the joy she brought to everyone around her.
“I still feel her presence,” Fritzgerald said. “It’s going to take a process for me to move on because she was perfect.”
This story was originally published April 29, 2025 at 11:02 AM.