Georgia Father Convicted of Starving 4-Year-Old Daughter to Death in 'House of Horrors' 

A Georgia father has been found guilty of starving his 4-year-old daughter to death.

On June 19, Rodney McWeay, a father of three from Atlanta, was convicted of murdering his daughter just before Christmas in 2023 through starvation, Fox 5 Atlanta reported. McWeay, 32, was found guilty of 14 total felonies related to the kidnapping of his children and his daughter’s murder, per CBS affiliate WRDW.

The charges included one count of malice murder and one count of felony murder; three counts of cruelty to children in the first degree; three counts of false imprisonment; three counts of contributing to the dependency of a minor; and three counts of kidnapping.

McWeay’s three children, including Treasure McWeay, 4, had been removed from his custody in June 2023 due to unsanitary, moldy living conditions, Fox 5 reported. Prosecutors alleged he kidnapped his children back from their mother and held the children in captivity in what they called a “house of horrors,” per NBC affiliate 11Alive and WRDW.

While living at McWeay’s home, investigators said, the children were kept in locked, separate rooms without food or water, were monitored through cameras and weren’t allowed out to use the bathroom, per Fox 5.

McWeay’s neighbor, Quasheea Cokley, often heard screams or crying coming from McWeay’s apartment and contacted Georgia’s Division of Family & Children Services (DCFS), though the agency was unable to reach the family prior to Treasure’s death, according to 11 Alive. Likewise, law enforcement’s attempts to check on the children had failed.

Police found Treasure unresponsive inside McWeay’s residence days before Christmas, 11 Alive reported. Along with her two brothers, Treasure was taken to a hospital where she was later pronounced dead.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

Treasure’s cause of death was determined to be cardiac arrest caused by long term malnutrition, Dr. Keely Iannelli testified, per Fox 5. At the time of her death, the 4-year-old weighed just 24 pounds.

Earlier in the trial, McWeay’s defense attorney told the court his client admitted he made “some wrong decisions” when it came to the children’s mother, but never intended to hurt the kids.

McWeay’s sentencing will be held in 30 days, WRDW reported. McWeay previously rejected a 75-year plea deal, and thus could face multiple life sentences, per Fox 5.