By CELESTE M. HART
UPDATE February 1, 2022: The court removed the death penalty for Malikah Bennent, her next hearing is scheduled for February 10, morning session, room 5310. Her mother, Tammy Moffett, hearing is April 10, morning session, room 5310. Jelly Bean’s father recently moved into the home where his four year old was tortured and malnourished, the cause of death is undetermined.
On Mother’s Day, May 9, 2021, Malikah Bennett, 31, held a cook-out in her back yard, on Braden Road, in Charlotte, where the food table stood above the burial ground of her own four-year-old daughter, Meigellic (mah’jel lick) Young, according to Darrus Young, 38, who nicknamed his baby girl, Jelli Bean. On Father’s Day, June 20th, Young still awaited the release of Jelli’s body, he said he just wanted his daughter to rest in peace.
“All she wanted was her daddy. My baby was the smartest child, and she was stubborn. She changed my life as I wouldn’t be a licensed certified machine operator and pipe layer. I wanted to do so much for her,” said Young.
Young said Bennett dropped three-months-old Meigellic, off to him and his significant other, Antionette Austin who provided ‘that motherly love.’ Bennett never returned nor had any contact until he reached out and invited her over for Meigellic’s fourth birthday party, August 11, 2020. He said Meigellic began to wonder why other children had a mom. He wanted her to know Bennett yet did not have the desire to go through traumatic family court proceedings.
“Jelli didn’t know Malikah or anybody in her family. Malikah said she was gonna take her swimming and bring her back after the week-end,” said Young. “I tried to meet Malikah at a park to get Jelli, she played me, never showed up. I’d see her at the nail shop, she looked frantic. I knocked on her door, several different times, no answer. Her jeep was sitting over Jelli’s body, the whole time,” said Young.
murdered by her own mother
Meigellic’s body, allegedly, laid underground for approximately eight months, since September 2020, until May 21, 2021, when police arrested Bennett thus charged with felonies, first degree murder, destroying body remains, concealment of unnatural death and intentional child abuse causing physical harm. Bennett has several pending prior misdemeanor child abuse charges, January 2011, February and March 2020, a court hearing set for November 2021, involved several of her seven other children, many she lost custody.
On May 27th, police arrested Bennett’s mother, Tammy Moffet, 53, charged with two felonies, accessory after the fact and concealing an unnatural death. Young said Moffett lied to him, claimed she saw Jelli during those eight months. According to police, Bennett forced her 13-year-old daughter to assist in Jelli’s backyard burial, placed in two black bags. Young said he could not bring himself to view her decomposed body. His sister did and said she just saw fear in Jelli’s face.
“I was never contacted about Malikah’s other abuse charges. I just didn’t know,” said Young. “When Malikah continued to lie about Jelli’s whereabouts, I began my own investigation. I had the police come to her house where nobody answered, I told them to check the back yard, but they didn’t. They wouldn’t even list her as a missing child. I went to two DSS offices and requested a welfare check and was told we would be put in the system.”
Young said he could not rest that day, was not satisfied, and later called the 24- hour Child Abuse hotline.
“I thank God for the Black lady who answered the hotline, at three A.M. She said I wasn’t even in the system and immediately placed me in the computer. A few hours later, an officer called me and said he was looking into it,” said Young. “Malikah was already in police custody. My baby was already dead, for nine months. My whole family is messed up, all the way. Jelli and my mother were more like sisters. I worry more about them.”
Meigellic was properly laid to rest, Friday, July 9th, at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, amongst a sea of family and friends donned in her favorite color, purple, and shirts with her pictures and the words, JUSTICE FOR JELLI.
“I did my job,” said Young.
“Her four years of life was short, but yet full of light everyday…she loved lip gloss, shades, butterflies and unicorns. A superstar was what she was going to be,” obituary excerpt.
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