Babysitter Accused Of Killing Toddler In Sandy Springs Pleads Guilty

SANDY SPRINGS, GA — A babysitter and her boyfriend pleaded guilty Monday after a 2-year-old child was beaten to death in December 2020, according to Sandy Springs Police and media reports.

Police said Kirstie Flood and Jeffrey Meyers had been arrested in connection with the Dec. 9, 2020 death of Fallon Fridley, who had been "brutally beaten" and whose death was due to massive trauma.

The incident occurred in the 500 block of Monterey Parkway, police said. Police did not fully detail the circumstances that led to Fridley's death.

Fox 5 Atlanta reported Flood was babysitting Fridley at the time of the child's death.

Before Fridley died, Flood had been friends with the child's mom for five years and had been babysitting Fridley since August 2020, Channel 2 Action News reported at the time of her death. The outlet reported Fridley was from Smyrna.

Flood claimed Fridley was injured after hitting her head on a playground slide; however, physicians and an autopsy contradicted the story, Channel 2 reported.

An arrest warrant stated Flood's cell phone turned up searches of “what type of people enjoy abusing other people’s children” and “what does it mean to have a sudden urge to beat a child that’s not yours," Channel 2 reported.

Flood pled guilty Monday to malice murder, felony murder, aggravated sexual battery, first-degree and second-degree cruelty to children, false statements and tampering with evidence, police said. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, police said.

Meyers pled guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, police said.

"This case has affected so many members of this department as so many had a hand in investigating and prosecuting the case. It has been a great success between our department and the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, specifically the Crimes against Children Unit, with how well we worked together. Through our diligence and hard work, we were able to bring closure and a semblance of peace to the family," police said in a statement.