A 24-year-old woman from Canton, Georgia, has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of her 13-month-old daughter, a crime the judge described as “heinous.” Chloe Driver will serve life in prison with the possibility of parole for the murder of her daughter, Hannah Driver. She also received a 20-year sentence for first-degree cruelty to children, though the sentences will run at the same time.
The jury found Chloe guilty in November, despite her insanity defense. They ruled she was mentally ill but still criminally responsible for her actions. She was convicted of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, and cruelty to children. According to prosecutors, Chloe’s defense—that she wasn’t in control of her actions—didn’t hold up in court.
The tragedy happened on December 8, 2020, at a home on Mountain Vista Boulevard in Canton. Police responded to a 911 call reporting a baby who had died and an adult with severe injuries. When officers arrived, they found Chloe and her baby, Hannah, in a bedroom with serious injuries. Hannah was rushed to the hospital but couldn’t be saved. Chloe was taken to a separate hospital in critical condition. After two weeks in the hospital, Chloe was arrested on December 22, 2020.
Investigators revealed that Chloe had been driving from North Carolina to Florida on the day of the crime. Along the way, she stopped in Canton with a group described as a “cult,” which included two men, three women, and her baby daughter. At the home in Canton, Chloe took Hannah upstairs and stabbed her in the neck. Hannah’s father tried desperately to save her before paramedics arrived, but her injuries were too severe. She had suffered stab wounds to her neck, esophagus, spine, and upper back.
During the trial, Chief Assistant District Attorney Katie Gropper spoke passionately about the crime. In her closing arguments, she told the jury, “No matter how hopeless or desperate you feel, you don’t get to take the life of a child. What happened to Hannah was violent, horrific, and heartbreaking. This baby girl didn’t get to choose her life—her mother chose this for her. And now, Chloe Driver must face the consequences.”
This tragic case has left the community shaken, as people struggle to understand how something so horrific could happen to such an innocent child.
