COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A Cobb County mother has been sentenced for the murder of her 19-month-old son, whose body was found floating in the Chattahoochee River two years ago.
Breyanla Cooper will spend life in prison on charges of malice murder, aggravated assault and concealing the death of another for her son Faheem’s death.
“It is unfathomable that a human being could do this to a baby. It is unspeakable that a mother would do this to her own flesh and blood,” Superior Court Judge Kellie S. Hill commented. “I cannot imagine how painful this has got to be for the family. There’s just nothing the court can say or do to make this any better for anybody.”
WSB first reported on Cooper’s arrest two years ago. On July 1, 2021, firefighters who were filming a public service announcement spotted Faheem’s body in the river near Paces Mill Park.
Police learned about Cooper’s involvement after she called to identify a sketch that police released to our partners at Channel 2 Action News. Investigators confirmed she was the toddler’s mother through DNA evidence.
Cooper told detectives that a man kidnapped her son because she owned him money and that she didn’t file a missing person report because she was afraid. Detectives ultimately found no evidence of a kidnapping.
Cobb police initially thought Faheem’s body had been in the area of the river for two days. But when detectives analyzed the GPS data from Cooper’s car, they determined Cooper was in the area of the river on June 26, 2021 between 5:57 p.m. and 8:08 p.m.
June 26 is also the last time that Cooper’s mother reported seeing her grandson. Cooper’s other child told detectives that his mother said “their time with Faheem was done.”
Other evidence showed Cooper searching on her cell phone for foster care and information about the Chattahoochee River.
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