Baby born decapitated after medical negligence; parents still await justice

In July 2023, a chilling event rocked the community of Riverdale, Georgia, when 20-year-old Jessica Ross and her partner, Treveon Isaiah Taylor , lost their son, Treveon Isaiah Taylor Jr., in a traumatic birth at Southern Regional Medical Center .

What should have been a joyful moment turned into a nightmare due to alleged medical negligence that culminated in the baby's decapitation , a case that has sparked outrage and calls for justice.

During delivery, the baby suffered shoulder dystocia, a complication in which the shoulders become trapped behind the mother's pubic bone . According to the couple's lawsuit, obstetrician Tracey St. Julian applied excessive force to the baby's head and neck during an attempted vaginal delivery, resulting in the baby's decapitation.

Ross reportedly requested a cesarean section while the baby was still viable, but was denied, and the doctor failed to seek additional help in a timely manner. Following an emergency cesarean section, the baby's body was delivered, but the head was removed vaginally.

According to the couple's lawyers, the hospital presented the baby's body wrapped in a blanket, with the head "propped up" to hide the decapitation , and prohibited the parents from touching it. It wasn't until days later that Ross and Taylor discovered the truth.

In August 2023, they filed a lawsuit against the hospital and Dr. St. Julian for gross negligence, fraud, and infliction of emotional distress. A February 2024 coroner's report ruled the death a homicide, caused by a fractured cervical vertebrae, contradicting the hospital's claim that the baby died in utero.

Jessica and Treveon hired Dr. Jackson Gates for an independent autopsy , but he posted explicit videos of the procedure on Instagram without parental consent, showing the baby's body and detached head. In September 2023, the couple sued Gates for invasion of privacy and emotional distress.

In June 2025, a Fulton County jury awarded them $2.25 million in damages , though their attorneys stressed that this does not mitigate their suffering. Gates, who claimed educational purposes for his publications, plans to appeal the ruling.

Meanwhile, Southern Regional Medical Center denies liability, stating that the death occurred before delivery and that Dr. St. Julian was not its direct employee. The lawsuit against the hospital is ongoing, as the case continues to generate outrage over allegations of negligence and cover-up.