Macon woman pleads guilty in grandmother's 2013 death

A Macon woman pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of her grandmother Friday, almost three years to the day when she kicked the 62-year-old woman in the stomach and punched her in the head.

A Bibb County judge sentenced Keirra Thomas to 10 years, eight of them in prison. Sentenced as a first offender, if Thomas successfully completes her sentence without incident, she won't have a felony record.

Prosecutor Cheferre Young said Shirley Green had raised Thomas from the time she was just weeks old.

On Feb. 20, 2013, Green had custody of Thomas' then 2-year-old daughter. That morning, as Thomas was getting the toddler ready for the day, she manhandled the child, and an argument ensued between Green and Thomas, Young said.

Arrest warrants in the case said Thomas shook the girl and held her against a sofa in a choke hold until her uncle intervened.

Thomas, 25, kicked Green and punched her inside their Tuxedo Road home. Green lost consciousness before she arrived at a Macon hospital.

Green died after suffering bleeding on her brain, Young said. The plea deal was offered due to conflicting medical testimony about what caused Green's death.

Thomas initially was charged with aggravated assault and cruelty to children. The assault charge later was upgraded to murder.

Green's widower spoke during the hearing, saying he had often told his wife that she should let Thomas go, and Green responded that she wanted to give Thomas another chance.

"I feel like when you raise somebody from a child, from a little baby, and you give them all the loving you can and they turn on you, it's something else," he said.

"I blame myself for tolerating it," he said. "It has been rough."

Thomas wept while other family members talked about Green's loving nature.

Green's daughter said her mother was a woman of selfless love who had raised her children to love others.

"She would forgive you for what you did," she said to Thomas. "I forgive you."

To contact writer Amy Leigh Womack, call 744-4398 or find her on Twitter@awomackmacon.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 5:39 PM with the headline "Macon woman pleads guilty in grandmother's 2013 death ."