Eight-year-old Josef Smith died in October 2003 in the family home in Mableton, Georgia, and medical examiners ruled his death a homicide. First responders found the child’s body covered in bruises. Parents Joseph and Sonya Smith initially told authorities Josef had collapsed after a family prayer session conducted over the internet, saying they had tried to cool him down before calling for help, but investigators concluded the injuries were from severe and repeated beatings.

Prosecutors said Josef had been struck repeatedly with a foot-long glue stick by his father while the family watched a church service online, and that his mother continued the beating until it drew blood. The boy was reportedly confined for hours in a closet and locked inside a small wooden box despite saying he couldn’t breathe; he was later found unresponsive. The parents’ membership in the Remnant Fellowship Church drew attention during the investigation, though a direct legal link between the church and Josef’s death was not established in court.

In February 2007 a jury convicted both Joseph and Sonya Smith of murder and multiple related charges; each received life plus 30 years. Joseph Smith is held at Macon State Prison and Sonya Smith at Arrendale State Prison. Does anyone have additional details about Josef’s life or the household leading up to October 2003?