Discretion is advised.

Ten-minute murder. In October of 2003, a little boy died in Atlanta.

His parents, Sonia and Joseph Smith, Sr., called 911 from their family

home telling the operator that their son, 8-year-old Joseph Jr., was unresponsive. According to Joseph

Sr., he'd gone to pick Joseph Jr. up and noticed that the child was extremely sweaty and warm, and he wasn't waking

up. Believing that his son might have just gotten too hot, he carried him to the home's carport

and laid him on the cool concrete floor, hoping that that coldness would revive him.

When Joseph Jr. remained unconscious, Joseph Sr. called for the ambulance.

Cobb County first responders arrived at the scene where they found Joseph Jr. lying flat on

his back.

He was not breathing, and they couldn't find a pulse.

He was rushed to the Children's hospital where the staff desperately tried to save

his life, but they were unable to revive him. The following day, he was pronounced dead.

But it was immediately clear to the medical staff that Joseph Jr. had not died because of overheating

or any other natural cause. He had passed away as the result of

severe long-term physical abuse. Joseph Sr. and Sonia admitted that they'd sometimes physically

punished Joseph Jr., including locking him in a closet alongside a picture of Jesus and forcing him to pray for long periods of time.

But they denied that they'd ever severely physically abused him.

The Smith's definition of severe abuse was questionable.

Under the guise of discipline, they would hit Joseph with belts, glue sticks, and coat hangers.

Sonia said that a usual punishment session, the child being punished, would receive 10 blows at a time.

Sometimes his older brother would be ordered to hold Joseph Jr. down to prevent him from running away or shielding himself.

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