Mississippi Woman Acquitted in Death of Toddler Stepdaughter

ABERDEEN, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi girl has been discovered not responsible within the killing of her 14-month-old stepdaughter.

A Monroe County jury on Friday acquitted T’Kia Bevily. It was her second trial within the 2017 dying of Jurayah Smith in Claiborne County.

A Claiborne County jury convicted Bevily of capital homicide in January 2021. Her protection attorneys then raised questions on a juror who is expounded to the sufferer’s mom.

In September, a choose granted Bevily a brand new trial and a change of venue. Monroe County is about 225 miles (362.10 kilometers) northeast of Claiborne County.

Bevily and two of her attorneys spoke to WLBT-TV after the decision Friday.

“She’s been harmless this entire time,” mentioned lawyer Dennis Candy IV.

Bevily mentioned she broke down after listening to Circuit Choose Tomika Harris-Irving say jurors had discovered her not responsible. She mentioned the previous few years have been torturous.

“It’s an unexplainable feeling to have two babies and never know in the event you’ll be there to look at them develop up,” Bevily mentioned.

One other of her attorneys, Lawrence Blackmon, mentioned Bevily needed to endure unfair assaults on her character.

“When God is for you, no man or girl in swimsuit or in gown could be towards you,” Blackmon mentioned.

Jurayah’s father, Morris Bevily IV, additionally was charged with capital homicide. He has pleaded not responsible and has not but gone to trial.

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