Polygamist cult mom Chloe Driver learns her fate following 2020 toddler murder

The case of Chloe Alexis Driver, a Georgia woman found guilty of murdering her 13-month-old daughter, is both tragic and disturbing. Driver, who was just 20 years old at the time of the crime, was involved in a polygamist relationship and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury found her guilty of murder beyond a reasonable doubt but also concluded she was mentally ill at the time of the crime.

On December 8, 2020, Driver fatally stabbed her daughter, Hannah Nicole Driver, with a knife from a butcher’s block. In a confession to a forensic psychologist, Driver detailed her state of mind leading up to the act. She described feeling increasingly paranoid and isolated within the polygamous marriage. Driver’s husband, Benyamin Ben Michael (also known as Brian Joyce), had at least two other wives, and Driver felt alienated from them. She believed the other wives wanted both her and her daughter dead and was convinced that she had magical powers to read people’s thoughts.

Driver also felt guilty about having a child in such an unconventional relationship, referring to her daughter as “a sin.” Her belief in her daughter’s sinfulness seemed to fuel her growing paranoia and distress. This culminated in the brutal killing of Hannah when Driver became convinced that her child’s existence was tied to evil. The specific trigger for the murder, according to forensic psychologist Dr. McLendon Garrett, was an argument with her husband when he threw a dirty shirt at her while she asked for help with changing the child. This act led to Driver feeling unworthy of life and deciding to end both her and her daughter’s lives.

After killing her daughter, Driver attempted suicide by stabbing herself multiple times, though she survived the attack. The scene was described as gruesome, with a witness hearing a “guttural scream” before finding the bloodied scene. Authorities rushed both mother and daughter to the hospital, but Hannah later died from her injuries.

During the trial, Driver’s lawyer argued that if her motive had been solely to claim Joyce for herself, she would have targeted the other wives, which helped sway the jury’s decision. While the case is heart-wrenching, it sheds light on the dangerous psychological effects of isolation, extreme beliefs, and mental illness. Driver is set to be sentenced on December 12, and the case continues to raise difficult questions about mental health, responsibility, and the complexities of abusive relationships.