(Editor’s note: The video above is from an earlier report.)
LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A Gwinnett County judge is weighing whether a father convicted of killing his infant son more than two decades ago should receive a new trial after his attorneys argued that updated medical science shows no crime occurred.
Danyel Smith has been in prison for more than 20 years following his 2003 conviction in the death of his two-month-old son, Chandler Smith. Prosecutors at the time told jurors the child died from injuries consistent with what was then commonly described as “Shaken Baby Syndrome.”
During a hearing Monday, Smith appeared in court by Zoom as his attorneys presented testimony from eight medical experts who say Chandler’s death may have been caused by underlying medical conditions rather than abuse.
Smith’s legal team argues advances in medical science and new expert analysis undermine the original diagnosis presented at trial. According to their court filing, several specialists reviewed medical records and autopsy findings and concluded the infant’s injuries were more consistent with natural causes or medical complications than shaking.
Prosecutors dispute those claims, arguing the new opinions are unreliable and do not meet the legal standard required to reopen the case.
In their response brief, the Gwinnett County District Attorney’s Office maintains that Smith’s experts rely on speculative theories and that the evidence would not have changed the outcome of the trial.
The case centers on a key legal question: whether newly presented expert testimony could have led a jury to reach a different verdict.
If the judge determines the new evidence could have created reasonable doubt for jurors, she could grant Smith a new trial.
Three years ago, prosecutors offered Smith a plea deal that would have allowed him to leave prison if he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and admitted responsibility. Smith declined the offer.
Family members on both sides attended the hearing and expressed sharply different views about the case.
Chandler’s mother, Marsha Brandon, said she still believes Smith was responsible for the baby’s death.
“My baby was abused,” Brandon said. “He was murdered by Danyel Smith. That’s why he’s in jail and I’m happy about it and he needs to stay there.”
Asked whether Smith’s decision not to take the plea agreement gave her any doubt about his guilt, Brandon said it did not.
“I think he’s looking for a story,” she said. “He’s looking to have a book, make a movie.”
Smith’s fiancée, LaTasha Pyatt, said the new testimony from medical experts shows the conviction should be reconsidered.
“They are trying to disqualify … renowned neurosurgeons that even Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta consults with,” Pyatt said. “How do you dispute anything like that? We’re not bringing random people off of the streets. We’re bringing in experts who actually do this on a daily basis.”
Pyatt believes Smith is innocent.
“It’s a gross miscarriage of justice in the beginning, but now it’s even more bizarre because at this point they are just holding an innocent man in prison for nothing,” she said.
Smith’s request for a new trial comes after the Georgia Supreme Court previously ordered the trial court to reconsider his motion using the proper legal framework for newly discovered evidence.
The judge did not immediately rule after Monday’s hearing and did not provide a timeline for a decision.
If the court determines the new expert testimony could have affected the jury’s verdict, Smith could receive a new trial.
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