A Manhattan woman was convicted in the "shocking and horrific" beating death of her teenage cousin who was living with her for the summer for what she referred to as "cousin boot camp."
Johnette Booker was found guilty on a slew of charges including manslaughter, assault, gang assault and child endangerment in connection to the death of 15-year-old Jallen McConnie in June 2021, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a press release Friday.
McConnie, a special needs child believed to have autism, had lived in North Carolina and Georgia with his adoptive sister, who was also his legal guardian. The sister sent him to live with Booker for the summer of 2021, a period of time Booker referred to as "cousin boot camp," which would serve as a punishment for what she believed was misbehavior at home, according to court documents.
The teen arrived at the Upper West Side apartment in the Wise Houses on West 94th Street and Columbus Avenue in late May 2021. Prosecutors said that for the next 32 days, McConnie was physically and emotionally tortured on a constant basis by the 43-year-old Booker. He was hit with belts, forced to sleep on the floor and ordered to sit facing the wall with his legs crossed for most of the day, according to prosecutors.
The teen was also made to do intensive exercises, hold heavy books over his head, scrub Booker's floor, stand in the corner while touching his toes, prosecutors said. During this time, McConnie was not allowed to take his prescription medications.
The stunning abuse came to a head on June 28, when Booker was accused of using a belt on her cousin's arms, legs, body and face for more than an hour inside the apartment's living room, according to prosecutors, leaving the teen covered in welts and bruises.
Booker allegedly carried out the abuse with another cousin of McConnie's, along with an additional relative. Sources previously told NBC New York that the other cousin, 36-year-old Mitchaux Booker, allegedly assaulted McConnell for interrupting him while he watched Netflix.
After the beating, McConnie was ordered to open his mouth and had water forced down his throat. He collapsed in Booker's bathtub, prosecutors said.
EMS transported the teen to Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The medical examiner later determined the cause of death to homicidal asphyxia.
Booker did not call 911 right away and repeatedly lied to first responders, the city's Administration for Children's Services, hospital staff and other family members. She at first claimed she was not home at the time, instead saying that the teen had been attacked outside by boys in the park. Later, Booker said McConnie had killed himself, and then filed a letter with the court saying she was in her bedroom at the time and could not hear what was going on, court documents state.
Mitchaux Booker was arrested two days after McConnie's death. He is facing charges and is next expected in court on March 12, according to the New York Daily News.
