CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. - A Cherokee County jury has convicted two Kennesaw parents in connection with serious injuries suffered by their infant son, District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway announced.

What we know:

Following a five-day trial, jurors found Derrick Lenard Bessix, 30, guilty of cruelty to children in the second degree and contributing to the dependency of a minor. Allison Catherine Keener, 27, was convicted of contributing to the dependency of a minor for failing to provide proper parental care. The verdicts were reached Aug. 22 after about three hours of deliberation.

The case began in September 2020, when a pediatrician noticed signs of possible abuse during the baby’s 4-month checkup. The child was later taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where doctors discovered mu

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