MONROE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT
The Brownsville Herald Gazette and Walter Geiger said: She pleaded guilty to aggravated battery and two counts of first degree cruelty to children. “I’ll let you decide on the sentencing but we need to make sure to get her out of her kids’ lives,” assistant district attorney Mark Daniel told Judge Tommy Wilson.
The charges arose in early March, 2014 when Gunn, also known as Linda Jessica Street, took her three-month-old daughter Victoria to Griffin for medical care. Dr. Tommy Hopkins found the child had a fractured femur and notified law enforcement.
The child was sent to Spalding Regional Hospital where multiple bruises, indicating a pattern of abuse, were found as was a brain bleed. The subsequent investigation indicated the injuries were inflicted at the home where Gunn was living at 366 Liberty Hill Rd. in Milner.
Gunn, who was pregnant with another child at the time of the assaults, had beaten the baby against a headboard, dropped her off the bed several times, thrown a cell phone at her and hit the child on the head with a soda bottle.
Gunn was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder and put on anti-psychotic medications after her arrest.
Her attorney said that Gunn is borderline mentally retarded, has been the victim of two sexual assaults and suffered psychotic episodes after Victoria was born with physical problems involving her digestive system.
He also said “She couldn’t subtract, didn’t know how many months are in a year, or who Abraham Lincoln was. She didn’t understand how to take care of a baby. Her second child was born while she was in jail. Both children were adopted and have no ongoing issues.
Her attorney suggested Judge Wilson consider a sentence of 10 years to serve and 10 years on probation as they had discussed previously.
Judge Wilson resounded “I’m not in that mood today. You can withdraw your plea if you want,”
The attorney briefly conferred with Gunn but she indicated she wanted to proceed. He asked that the sentence restrict Gunn from being around children under age 16 and require her not to have any more children.
Looking Gunn in the face, District Attorney Daniel added, “I was not here in 1994. Had I been here your father would be in prison,” he said.
Gunn also wept as she tried to address the judge. Her testimony was largely unintelligible from the public area of the courtroom but at one point she said, “My baby got caught in the couch”.
“I want the truth,” Judge Wilson thundered and Gunn finally admitted she had caused the injuries. Addressing Kimmey, the judge continued, “All I am hearing is excuses. All she knows how to do is produce babies and she has no idea how to take care of them.” “She wanted a baby to have someone to love her,” Kimmey countered.
“We keep condoning stuff in society and let it go on and on. We keep petting people on the hand and I am sick of it. This is not all your fault but some of it is. You had the baby. The good Lord has blessed me with a short memory. I won’t remember your case tomorrow,” Judge Wilson told Gunn.
He then sentenced her to 30 years in prison to be followed by 30 years on probation. She can never possess a gun and must stay away from children under age 16. She is also barred from reaching out to her children but may respond if they seek her out.
Gunn was led away in handcuffs and shackles.