A three-year-old child heard their mother being murdered by their father and was then taken in the family car while he disposed of the body, a court has heard.

Victim Imani Roberson’s body was found abandoned near her burned-out SUV in Fulton County, Georgia state, in the US state of Georgia, three weeks after she disappeared.

Prosecutors say husband Donell Anderson had taken two of Imani’s children, aged three and one month, with him when he dumped her body.

Judge Phinia Aten told a hearing on 9th August: “The three-year-old audibly heard the incident and that they were also in the vehicle when their mother was being transported out of the county.”

Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett said on 7th August that Anderson was arrested and charged in connection with the disappearance of his wife.

Anderson has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon in the commission of a crime and child cruelty.

His brother Cedarius Glaze, 28, has been charged with evidence tampering and arson. He is accused of having set fire to the vehicle.

Imani disappeared on 16th July from the city of Conyers, in Rockdale County, after having dinner with her mother and along with her four children.

She left to go home with her three-year-old and her one-month-old children but vanished soon after, according to local media.

Her mum Clarine Andujar-White said: “We thank you for your continued prayers and support as we work to care for Imani’s beautiful boys without a mother.”

Her furious father, Ronald Acklin confronted his daughter’s killer in court telling him: “I want to put my hands on you so bad.”

And Imani’s younger sister Patience told him: “You shouldn’t have anything. You should lose everything. Because that was just out of nowhere, for no reason. You are a sociopath to me. You’re insane.”

Imani left behind an 11-year-old, a nine-year-old, a three-year-old and a one-month-old baby.