TIFT COUNTY, Ga. (WALB) — A 16-year-old Tifton girl was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to felony murder and aggravated assault in the 2024 shooting death of her mother.

District Attorney Patrick Warren announced the guilty plea and sentencing of Lilyana Rose Wagner, who was 14 years old at the time of the killing. Wagner was sentenced to life in prison and must serve at least 30 years before becoming eligible for parole.

The case began on Nov. 19, 2024, when Tifton Police Department (TPD) officers were asked to conduct a welfare check at a home on East 18th Street. Law enforcement in Crawford County notified TPD that Wagner was involved in a vehicle crash and was the only person inside the vehicle.

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Wagner told officers she lived at the home with her mother, Rachel Suzanne Wagner, 51, who had not shown up for work and was not answering her phone.

Officers went to the residence and found Rachel Wagner dead in her bed. Investigators determined she had died from a single gunshot wound to the back of her head.

According to the District Attorney’s Office, investigators with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) and TPD spent months reviewing information recovered from Wagner’s phone. Investigators found evidence that Wagner had communicated with anonymous individuals online who encouraged her to plan and commit acts of violence.

Investigators also determined that Wagner had developed an interest in school shootings and mass casualty events. According to the District Attorney’s Office, Wagner continued communicating with people online after her mother’s death.

The investigation found that the firearm used in the killing had been purchased by Rachel Wagner at a Valdosta pawn shop about a month before her death. Prosecutors said Rachel allowed her daughter to keep the firearm and ammunition in her bedroom.

In a handwritten confession, Wagner admitted to killing her mother and said she had previously considered carrying out a school shooting at her former middle school.

District Attorney Patrick Warren used the case to warn parents about the potential influence of online communities on children.

“Parents, I urge you to never underestimate the influence that exists behind your child’s screen,” Warren said.

Warren said parents should know who is influencing their children online and what those individuals are teaching them to believe is acceptable.

“In this case, there were no winners,” Warren said. “Rachel is dead, and Lilyana will spend the rest of her natural life in prison.”

Warren also reflected on the circumstances that led to the tragedy, including the online influences, access to the firearm and the support the family may have needed.

He urged the community to learn from the case by helping when someone is struggling, speaking up when something appears wrong and supporting those in need.

Warren thanked the GBI, Tifton Police Department and TPD investigators Sydney Greene and Chris Knight for their work throughout the investigation and prosecution.

Wagner will remain in prison and must serve a minimum of 30 years before she is eligible for parole.

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