Lesbian Couple Charged in Fatal Beating of Toddler
A lesbian couple who conceived a child through artificial insemination were charged Tuesday with beating the 18-month-old toddler to death.
Lisa (Kevin) Smith, 24, and Tivia Strother, 22, face first-degree murder and felony child abuse charges stemming from the April 7 death of Tivia Smith. Strother, who gave birth to the baby, and Smith pleaded not guilty.
“If you could see the pictures of this baby, I wouldn’t have to explain anything to you,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Carolyn McNary. “She was abused over a long period of time . . . beaten with a belt, paddle, shoes and who knows what else.”
Prosecutors said they may decide to charge the women with the special circumstance allegation of torture, which could make them eligible for the death penalty. The child was taken to Martin Luther King Jr./Drew Medical Center on April 5 after she apparently had been beaten into unconsciousness. She was placed on life-support machines but was taken off two days later after doctors declared her brain-dead.
The official cause of her death was listed as blunt force trauma.
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