Emani Gabrielle Moss was ten years old. Her family called her “Angelface.” She loved reading, dancing, and cooking, and her fourth-grade teacher remembered a child with a beautiful smile who always wanted to help people.

But behind that smile, Emani was trying to survive. She went to school bruised and afraid. She disclosed abuse. She ran away. Teachers, relatives, police, and child-protection workers encountered pieces of her story—and still, she was returned to the home where she was being harmed.

In this deeply difficult episode of Murder in the Black, Steph examines the warnings that came before Emani’s death, the adults and systems that had opportunities to intervene, and the family members who fought to protect her. Most importantly, this episode remembers Emani as a child: bright, helpful, loved, and deserving of the chance to grow up.

CONTENT WARNING

This episode discusses prolonged child abuse, neglect, starvation, domestic violence, the death of a child, and an attempt to conceal and destroy a child’s remains. The material is deeply distressing. Please take care of yourself while listening, and pause or skip this episode if needed.

LISTENER CALL TO ACTION

If this episode moved you, follow Murder in the Black on whatever podcast platform you use and leave a five-star review. Share Emani’s story—not because of how she died, but because of who she was. And if you know or suspect that a child is being harmed, do not assume someone else will act. Report the concern to the appropriate child-protection agency and contact emergency services if the danger is immediate.

In this Thursday episode of Murder in the Black, we cover the murder of 21-year-old Asia Adams, a West Chester University student whose life was taken inside her mother’s Germantown home in November 2004.

What first looked like a house fire quickly became something else. Investigators found Asia’s body in an upstairs bedroom, but the fire was not the beginning of the story. It was the cover-up.

This episode follows the investigation from the neighbor who heard the door, to the missing bank cards, the ATM withdrawals, the nickname “Napoleon,” Asia’s dorm room, the witness statements, and the courtroom testimony that led to convictions for Thomas Strode and Simeon Bozic.

We also talk about Asia’s life before the crime, her mother Shelah Harper’s fight for justice, and the work that came afterward through the Asia Adams Save Our Children Foundation.

At the end of the episode, we close with a True Crime in Current News segment covering recent updates in the D4vd/Celeste Rivas Hernandez preliminary hearing and the independent autopsy update in the Nolan Xavier Wells case.

Cases discussed:

Asia Adams
Thomas Strode
Simeon Bozic
Celeste Rivas Hernandez
Nolan Xavier Wells

Listen with care. This episode discusses domestic violence, murder, arson, sexual assault allegations, violence against a young woman, and the death of a teenager.

In this episode of Murder in the Black, we examine the heartbreaking case of William Deshaun Hamilton, a six-year-old boy whose skeletal remains were discovered in the woods of DeKalb County, Georgia, in 1999. Despite years of investigation, forensic testing, and national attention, William remained unidentified until 2022.

We trace the investigation from the discovery of his remains to the courtroom nearly 25 years later, exploring how advances in forensic science, facial reconstruction, and one woman's unwavering determination helped restore William's identity. We also discuss the trial of Teresa Ann Bailey Black, the verdict, and the questions that remain unanswered.

William's story is a reminder that even when decades pass, every child deserves to have their name restored—and their story told.

• The discovery of William's remains in DeKalb County, Georgia
• The early investigative clues—and why they led nowhere
• How forensic science evolved over two decades
• The role of facial reconstructions in identifying unidentified children
• Ava McNeil's determination to uncover the truth
• How a single tip finally identified "Clifton John Doe"
• The arrest and trial of Teresa Ann Bailey Black
• The verdict, sentencing, and unanswered questions surrounding William's death

TimeLine

00:05 – The evening that changed everything

00:35 – A devastating discovery in DeKalb County

01:16 – The first clues investigators uncovered

02:21 – Why the cause of death remains unknown

03:57 – The decades-long search for William's identity

05:09 – Buried as "Clifton John Doe"

06:15 – Forensic evidence and overlooked clues

07:58 – Why investigators believed William had been abandoned

09:41 – DNA testing and the limitations of the late 1990s

10:55 – The importance of forensic facial reconstructions

13:32 – Ava McNeil's recognition and relentless search for answers

15:28 – The reconstruction that reignited the investigation

16:52 – William's life before he disappeared

17:53 – Leaving Charlotte and William's disappearance

20:47 – The tip that finally solved the mystery

22:37 – Giving William his name back

23:48 – The trial of Teresa Ann Bailey Black

36:31 – The verdict and sentencing

41:57 – William's legacy and the search for justice

Sources

• FOX 5 Atlanta. "Boy's remains found in cemetery still not identified 20 years later." Published February 27, 2019.
• FOX 5 Atlanta. "Teresa Ann Black murder trial: Old friend testifies against mother accused of murdering son in Atlanta." Published January 3, 2024.
• FOX 5 Atlanta. "Teresa Ann Black Trial: Mother accused of murdering 6-year-old son waives last chance to testify." Published January 8, 2024.
• FOX 5 Atlanta. "Teresa Black trial: Mother sentenced to 10 years for concealing son's death." Updated January 12, 2024.
• A&E Crime + Investigation. "A Decades-Old Cold Case Ends With the ID of a Young Boy, and His Mother Charged With Murder." Published December 16, 2022; updated August 27, 2025.
• Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) press releases and case information.
• DeKalb County Medical Examiner records and publicly reported court proceedings.
• Public court reporting and news coverage reviewed to verify the investigation timeline, trial proceedings, verdict, and sentencing.