By Walter Geiger The mother of a five-year-old girl and her boyfriend have been charged in connection with her death and those charges could be upgraded to murder if it proves the child was beaten as initial reports indicated. UPDATE: The autopsy results are in and the GBI has taken the lead in this investigation… From Sherry Lang, GBI public information officer: An autopsy of five year old, Heaven Woods, determined the cause of her death to be blunt force trauma to the abdomen. The autopsy of Heaven was done at the GBI Crime Lab in Atlanta where the medical examiner determined the five year old also had multiple other injuries, new and old. Heaven’s mother, Amanda Hendrickson, 33, and Roderick Buckner, 34, have each been charged with Felony Cruelty to Children First Degree. Hendrickson has also been charged with Giving a False Statement. The charges are related to Heaven’s death and it is expected additional charges are forthcoming. District Attorney Richard Milam will determine what additional charges will be brought as the investigation proceeds. From Chief Keith Corley, Forsyth Police Department (5.21.14): On May 20, 2014, at 8:51 am, the Monroe County 911 Center received a call of an unresponsive child at 374 Brookwood Drive. The Forsyth Fire Department First Responders arrived within minutes and found the child was not breathing and immediately started basic life support measures, including CPR. The child was transported to the Monroe County Hospital’s Emergency Room and was pronounced deceased a short time later. Investigators from the Forsyth Police Department, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and GBI immediately started investigating the cause of the child’s death. The body of the child was taken to the GBI crime lab in Atlanta. The child was identified as Heaven Woods, a 5-year-old female from Rome, Georgia. Two people were arrested late yesterday in connection with this incident. Amanda Hendrickson, 33 of Rome, GA, the child’s mother and Roderick Buckner, 34 of Forsyth, GA. Roderick Buckner is charged with felony Cruelty to Children in the 1st Degree. Amanda Hendrickson is charged with felony Cruelty to Children in the 1st Degree and Giving False Statements. Both are being held in the Monroe County Justice Center. Today, the GBI crime lab conducted an autopsy; investigators are awaiting the results. This case is still under investigation. Anyone having any information about this case is asked to call Major David Brown with the Forsyth Police Department at (478) 994-6022 or Lieutenant K.B. Ayer with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office at (478) 994 7287
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