Chloe Driver found guilty of stabbing her 13-month-old daughter to death

CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. – A verdict has been reached in the case of Chloe Driver, a mother from Cherokee County. He was accused of stabbing his little daughter to death In December 2020.

It took the jury less than three hours to find the guilty but mentally ill 24-year-old guilty of murdering 13-month-old Hannah Nicole Driver. The charges included premeditated murder, felony murder (aggravated assault), felony murder (first-degree cruelty to a child), aggravated assault, and first-degree cruelty to children.

The verdict of guilty but mentally ill means the jury rejected Driver’s plea of ​​insanity and found him criminally responsible for his actions.

He will be sentenced to prison for his crimes on December 12. In the meantime, the Georgia Department of Corrections will be responsible for meeting his mental health needs.

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What happened to Hannah Nicole Driver?

Canton police were called to a home in the Mountain View neighborhood on December 8, 2020.

The driver had stopped there with a group of two men, three women and a baby believed to be part of a cult traveling from North Carolina to Florida.

Shortly after arriving home, authorities said Driver grabbed a knife from the kitchen, locked herself in a bedroom with her daughter and stabbed herself first.

The baby’s father allegedly tried to take life-saving measures until first responders arrived. The driver survived, but his baby was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the autopsy, the woman was stabbed four times in her right carotid artery, proximal esophagus, 4th cervical vertebra and upper right back.

“The facts of this case are extremely disturbing, and our hearts go out to everyone who intervened and provided care for 13-month-old Hannah Nicole Driver, an innocent little girl who was stabbed to death by her own mother,” the District Attorney said. Susan K. Treadaway. “During the trial, jurors viewed body camera footage of Cherokee County first responders fighting for Hannah’s life. Canton Police officers, Cherokee County firefighters, and Northside Cherokee Hospital staff demonstrated incredible dedication and compassion, to the point of subjecting themselves to horrific, haunting trauma.” They showed them until today.”

The driver’s trial lasted six days. A total of 21 witnesses testified, 15 of whom were called by the State. 135 pieces of evidence were presented, including 911 calls, crime scene photos and the murder weapon.

The driver claimed he was insane, but the State claimed he did not meet the criteria under Georgia law.

“No matter how hopeless you feel, no matter how helpless you feel, no matter how angry you feel, no matter how frustrated you feel, you cannot commit the act of murder and that is the law,” the chief said. Assistant District Attorney Katie Gropper said in her closing argument. “This was a violent, disgusting, horrific way to die. And I don’t care how bad your life was, you can’t do this to this baby girl and there will be no consequences for you. She chose this life. Hannah didn’t hold her responsible.”