EXCLUSIVE: Orange County mother of slain 3-year-old speaks out after child’s killer sentenced to 25 years to life
Breanna Wilson speaks exclusively to News 12 about losing her son, the sentence and the long road to healing.
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The mother of 3-year-old Xavier Johnson is speaking publicly for the first time since the man convicted of killing her son was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
In an exclusive interview Wednesday with News 12, Breanna Wilson spoke about the loss of her son, the trust she once placed in the man who killed him and the long process of trying to rebuild her life.
A judge this week sentenced Xavier’s killer, Gionni Sellers, to 25 years to life in prison. A jury found Sellers guilty of murder in Xavier’s death after deliberating for about an hour.
“It’ll never bring Xavier back. I will miss him until the day that I die,” Wilson said of the sentence. “But I’m happy finally that Gionni is finally going to pay for what he did.”
At the time, Sellers was dating Wilson and was responsible for watching Xavier. The abuse happened over several days in 2022 while Wilson was at work.
A jury found Sellers repeatedly beat Xavier, who was non-verbal and had developmental delays, causing severe trauma to the child’s head and body. Xavier was later pronounced dead after first responders rushed him to the hospital.
Orange County prosecutors said Wilson didn't realize her son was being abused at the time and believed the toddler's worsening condition was caused by a common childhood virus he had been diagnosed with. She said the marks on his body appeared to be rashes related to the illness.
Wilson said she trusted Sellers and never saw signs he was hurting her son.
“I trusted this person. This person told me that he loved me, that he loved my son Xavier,” she said. “I never witnessed him do anything like hurt Xavier in front of me or even put his hands on me. If I did, then obviously I would’ve prevented that situation from happening.”
Wilson said she still thinks about what happened every day and has struggled with the criticism that followed her son’s death.
“I think about it every day and obviously I wish I could take it back,” she said. “I know some people blame me and of course I take some blame in it for allowing this person around my son when I should’ve known him better, but I was young. I was naïve. I put my trust in the wrong person.”
She said Sellers came into her life during a vulnerable time after her relationship with Xavier’s father ended.
“At the time I was still heartbroken over my relationship ending with Xavier’s father and he came in and comforted me,” Wilson said. “I thought he was a knight in shining armor, but it was all just a lie.”
Xavier’s grandfather, Norman Wilson, said the sentence brings a sense of justice for the family.
“The justice system did their job. Everybody did what they were supposed to do and he’s where he belongs,” Wilson said.
Still, he says reminders of his grandson are everywhere.
“Every day I have a pop-up of my grandson on my phone. Me and him together,” he said. “I could just be doing my job and think about him.”
Breanna Wilson said the nearly four years since Xavier’s death have been incredibly difficult but that she is now focused on trying to rebuild her life.
“I’m focusing on a new career path, traveling and trying to heal and trying to do positive things for myself to get me in a better mental space,” she said. “After I lost Xavier, I just fell apart. I went through a very hard time. I’m still going through a hard time, but I’m working to try to get better.”
Defense attorney Mike Ferraro, of Cornwall, told News 12 that Sellers plans to appeal his conviction.
