ETOWAH COUNTY — The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit upheld the denial of federal habeas corpus relief for Timothy Scott Boyle on June 23, affirming a lower court ruling that rejected his claims. Boyle received a death sentence in 2010 for the capital murder of 2-year-old Savannah White in Etowah County.

Attorney General Steve Marshall stated, "The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit has upheld the denial of federal habeas corpus relief for an Etowah County man sentenced to death for the killing of a 2-year-old girl." Marshall also said, "Deputy Attorney General Lauren Simpson handled the appeal for the state." Boyle was convicted of capital murder in connection with White's death, and a jury unanimously recommended the death penalty for him.

Boyle was sentenced to death on March 12, 2010. Prosecutors stated that Boyle subjected Savannah White to repeated abuse in the months prior to her death in October 2005. Testimony at trial detailed incidents in which Boyle struck White, including slamming her head against a car door, and burned her with cigarettes.

Court records indicate that White's older sister, identified as H.D., told investigators she saw Boyle throw the toddler against a bathtub wall and hold her underwater. Savannah White became ill and unresponsive after this incident. Boyle transported White to a hospital the day after the fatal attack, according to authorities, who also noted that Boyle provided inconsistent accounts of what had occurred.

White was pronounced dead on October 26, 2005. An autopsy revealed severe brain injuries as the cause of death. Evidence presented at Boyle's 2009 trial included vomit-stained sheets investigators found at the Rainbow City apartment where the events occurred. Witnesses, including H.D., testified during the trial about the abuse White experienced.

In addition to the capital murder conviction, Boyle was also convicted of unlawful possession of a controlled substance. His conviction and sentence were upheld on direct appeal. Boyle's state post-conviction efforts concluded without relief in 2018, and a federal district court denied his habeas petition in 2022. The Eleventh Circuit granted review on a single issue before affirming the lower court's ruling.