On the morning of December 23, 2022, the father of 5-year-old Justice Alma A. and 1-year-old Paragon Maya A. returned to their home on Navy Road in San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood and found his daughters dead. He had knocked on the door for 15 minutes, and their mother, Paulesha Green-Pulliam (age 34), attempted to prevent him from searching for the children. He discovered the girls' bodies in a walk-in closet, seated on a bench, with white foam coming from one child's mouth. He called 911 in a state of hysterical distress. Both children were pronounced dead on scene. Green-Pulliam was arrested and charged with two counts of murder with special circumstances (multiple murder), along with aggravating allegations of great violence, victim vulnerability, and planning/sophistication. The cause and mechanism of death were not publicly disclosed. Court documents reportedly showed Green-Pulliam admitted the crime to police. She pleaded not guilty and, if convicted, faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The criminal complaint (Document 1) alleges aggravating circumstances under California Rules of Court Rule 4.421(a)(1): "The crime involved great violence, great bodily harm, threat of great bodily harm, or other acts disclosing a high degree of cruelty, viciousness, or callousness." While the specific mechanism of injury is not described and the cause of death was not publicly disclosed, the allegation of "great violence" and "great bodily harm" implies inflicted injury upon the children.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
Multiple sources refer to Green-Pulliam as the children's mother. The KTVU article (Document 3) states: "San Francisco DA charges mother with murder of 2 little girls" and refers to "her two little girls" and "her daughters." The Mission Local article (Document 4) states: "The girls' mother, Paulesha Green-Pulliam, 34, has been charged with two counts of murder." However, the KRON4 article (Document 2) notes: "Investigators declined to confirm to KRON4 if Green-Pulliam was the girls' biological mother," which introduces some ambiguity about whether she is the biological mother specifically. The overwhelming consensus across sources is that she is the mother, but the biological relationship is not officially confirmed.
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
The criminal complaint (Document 1) charges Paulesha Alma Green-Pulliam with two counts of murder under Penal Code Section 187(a). The KRON4 article (Document 2) states: "The San Francisco District Attorney's Office filed murder charges against Paulesha Alma Green-Pulliam." The KTVU article (Document 3) confirms: "Detectives quickly became suspicious of Green-Pulliam and arrested her." Green-Pulliam was both arrested and formally charged.
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The Mission Local article (Document 4) states: "The Public Defender's Office, representing Green-Pulliam, requested on Dec. 30 that Green-Pulliam take medical and mental examinations before her next appearance, according to the San Francisco Chronicle." This is a direct reference to the defendant/caregiver's mental health. Additionally, the same article notes that at the memorial, "Residents and Jenkins wanted to make it clear that if anyone is experiencing a mental health issue they should reach out to those nearby to get some help," implicitly connecting mental health concerns to this case. While no specific diagnosis is confirmed, the request for mental examinations references the mental health of the parent/caregiver.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Notable Details
Several notable details emerge from the text that are not addressed by other questions. The Mission Local article (Document 4) reports that court documents obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle show "Green-Pulliam allegedly admitted the crime to police." The same article provides details about the discovery of the children's bodies: "He found the girls' bodies in the walk-in closet, sitting on a bench. White foam came from one of the girl's mouths. He called the police, hysterically crying." Additionally, "Green-Pulliam prevented him from searching for the children" when the father returned home. The criminal complaint (Document 1) alleges the aggravating circumstance that "The manner in which the crime was carried out indicates planning, sophistication, or professionalism." The cause and mechanism of death were deliberately withheld by both prosecutors and the San Francisco Medical Examiner, as noted in the KTVU article (Document 3): "Prosecutors have not made public how the girls died or the motive for their deaths. And the San Francisco Medical Examiner would not divulge the cause of death either." The KRON4 article (Document 2) reports that "The judge denied granting bail" and that Green-Pulliam faces "life in prison without possibility of parole" if convicted on all charges.
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