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WARREN -- Joy Hodge, 43, was denied parole recently in the 2011 murder of her 15-month-old daughter at their home on Transylvania Street SE in Warren and must serve at least 10 more years in prison.
According to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, Hodge will have her next parole hearing in May 2036. Hodge is incarcerated in Dayton Correctional Institution. She was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison.
Hodge, then 29, was convicted at trial of murder, felonious assault and child endangering after her daughter, A'Nana Brantley, was found dead in her crib in the family's apartment Sept. 6, 2011.
The girl died of blunt-force trauma to her head and body. She, Hodge and three siblings lived together in the apartment.
The girl suffered various injuries, including a lacerated liver, which the Trumbull County coroner said resulted from a "forceful blow" similar to what a car-accident victim might suffer from hitting the dashboard.
A neighbor of Hodge testified that Hodge and several other women had been together on and off Sept. 5, Labor Day, and had a Labor Day get-together.
At about 12:30 a.m. Sept. 6, the women went out together to Blue Magoo's, an East Market Street tavern, for a couple hours and returned home about 2:30 a.m.
At 10 the next morning, Hodge told the neighbor she was on her way to the dentist. Hodge testified that A'Nana was still alive at 8 a.m., when Hodge gave the girl a cup of juice.
But Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk, Trumbull County coroner, testified that A'Nana died sometime between 1:30 and 5:30 a.m. Sept. 6 based on the stiffness of her body when she was discovered.
In interviews, Hodge only described one other person being inside her apartment the night the girl died, but that woman later testified she had not been there, even though Hodge convinced her to lie to police and say she was.
A woman who lived at the same apartment testified at Hodge's trial that at about 1:10 p.m. Sept. 6, she saw Hodge. She was talking to another female friend in an animated way and saying, "A'Nana's dead."
The neighbor went to Hodge's apartment and into the girl's bedroom and saw the child dead, stiff, bruised from the neck down, dried tears on her face and her hands clenched.
Listening to a detective ask Hodge later about where Hodge was during the evening and hearing Hodge say she was at home convinced the neighbor "something was wrong, because she was out with us," the neighbor said.
A Trumbull County jury deliberated only about 75 minutes before rendering the guilty verdicts, according to a newspaper account of the trial.
Then-assistant Trumbull County Prosecutor Diane Barber said during closing arguments in the trial that the case involved circumstantial evidence, but it "points to only one person, and it points to Joy Hodge."
Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins applauded the decision to deny parole to Hodge, saying Hodge is a dangerous murderer with repeated behavioral violations.
The prosecutor's office stated in a press release Wednesday that on the day before the child died, Hodge engaged in Labor Day celebrations including the consumption of alcohol and smoking marijuana. Hodge had left her young children at home unattended, prioritizing "partying" instead of her parenting duties.
The prosecutor's office stated the child's death was "a direct result of this reckless abandonment."
At Hodge's trial, the coroner testified the child had been deceased for a minimum of seven hours prior to her discovery. The autopsy documented multiple areas of bruising to the head, thighs, and liver and hemorrhaging within the abdominal cavity and swelling of the brain. Evidence showed the girl endured significant physical trauma for a long time before she died.
Assistant Trumbull County Prosecutor Jennifer Paris noted in a letter to the parole board that Hodge's institutional record while in prison reflects a persistent and escalating pattern of misconduct. She had 19 violations and infractions from March 2013 through November 2025.
The more serious misconduct violations included theft, verbal harassment of correctional staff and repeated refusals to follow orders.
Paris noted that the violations "underscore serious concerns regarding her respect for authority, impulse control and capacity to function within the bounds of the law." Paris stated that she was glad that the parole board allowed Hodge to continue to serve her sentence.
"Given the seriousness of the offenses ... early release would not appropriately reflect the gravity of the crimes Hodge committed, or the harm inflicted to the victim," Paris stated.
Members of the public may submit comments about the potential parole of Joy Hodge through the ODRC website: https://drc.ohio.gov/systems-and-services/1-parole/parole-board-hearing-input/.