Two children have admitted to luring an 8-year-old boy to water-filled pits in Georgia and drowning him – as outraged attorneys argue the crime was racially motivated.
Noah Bush, 8, was murdered in May when he went with the boys to a restricted zone in Wayne County filled with borrow pits – massive holes dug up so the dirt can be used to fill in at another location.
An 11-year-old boy, whose name has not been released, admitted in court on Wednesday that he played a role in the homicide and was sentenced to two years in a detention facility, reported WSB-TV.
‘This 11-year-old admitted under oath he, in fact, led Noah Bush down to the clay pits, pushed him into the water and ultimately held his head under the water until he drowned,’ Bush family attorney Francys Johnson said.
In July, an unnamed 10-year-old boy was sentenced to two years of confinement on charges of concealing the death of another and criminal trespassing in Bush’s case.
Two children have admitted to murdering Noah Bush (pictured), 8, in May
The two boys, a 10-year-old and 11-year-old, lured Bush to water-filled pits and drowned him
‘My baby was 8 years old with a full life ahead of him,’ said Demetrice Bush, Noah’s mother. ‘And two years is what the state of Georgia calls justice for an entire life that’s lost.’
‘There is no peace, there is no comfort, there is no closure for me. I will live with this for the rest of my life.’
Georgia law states that a juvenile can receive a maximum of two years in jail.
Bush went missing on May 15 and his body was found a day later in the borrow pits, reported WJCL.
Police initially said there was no foul play suspected and the 8-year-old took off his shoes, wandered around the ‘no trespassing’ area and stepped into deeper waters where he drowned.
However, the family hired the Davis Bozeman Johnson Law group to investigate the second grader’s death and the two children were charged in July.
The two boys were sentenced to two years each for luring Bush (pictured) to the pits then drowning him
Bush was last seen in May when he went with two other boys to a restricted zone in Wayne County filled with borrow pits
The Bush family lawyers have vowed to continue to seek justice and believe the crime was racially motivated
The Bush family lawyers have vowed to continue to seek justice and believe the crime was racially motivated.
‘There are people who feel that way. They fly flags in their yards, post signs, they get on Facebook. They do this in front of their children as if their children are not just soaking this up. This is the consequence when you don’t stand against hate,’ said Johnson.
The 11-year-old’s mother, Natalie Hardison reportedly attended Wednesday’s sentencing virtually because she is in jail.
She was arrested in July on a felony charge of giving false statements during the investigation into Noah’s death, according to WJCL.
‘This is not the end,’ said Mawuli Mel Davis, the founding partner of the Davis Bozeman Johnson Law Group.
‘The adults who were involved, who helped mislead this family, must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law as well.’