Georgia woman Erica White was found guilty on Monday of murdering her toddler son and taking out several credit cards using his social security number, which her and her boyfriend maxed out within months.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that a Cobb County jury found White guilty on 16 charges, including capital murder and a number of financial fraud charges. Her boyfriend, Michael Schullerman, previously admitted to the credit card fraud and pleaded guilty, but he refused to confess to killing 2-year-old Tyrael White, who died from a codeine overdose. He was sentenced to 20 years behind bars, followed by 10 years of supervised probation.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Tyrael didn’t have much of a chance at life. He was nearly beat to death mere weeks after he was born, by his biological father, Joseph McFall. In 2012, McFall beat the boy, 8 weeks old at the time, so badly that he blinded him for life and fractured bones in his arms and ribs. The beating also left Tyrael blind and unable to eat or walk on his own.
In 2014, however, White allegedly gave the boy, who turned two that year, a fatal dose of codeine, by inserting medication into his feeding tube. Police said that White initially denied having codeine in her possession, but investigators learned she filled a Tylenol with codeine prescription two days prior to the toddler’s death. On Nov. 8, 2014, a medic pronounced Tyrael dead.
According to court documents, White and Schullerman, a man she met online, assisted in poisoning the little boy. Afterward, the pair took out five credit cards in the toddler’s name, then attempted to get four additional cards.
Further, they failed to notify the Social Security Administration of the boy’s death, in an attempt to keep receiving his disability benefits. They also forged a letter to receive state funds, and applied for a $50,000 life insurance policy without listing his disabilities.
White’s sentencing date has not yet been set.
[Feature Photo: Tyrael McFall/Cobb County DA]
