Mother Shifts to Insanity Defense in Abuse Case
A mother accused of torturing two of her sons and contributing to the death of another has changed her plea of innocent to innocent by reason of insanity.
Carrie Lee Davis, 42, amended her plea last week in a Joshua Tree courtroom.
Davis’ two children, now ages 13 and 18, have told police they were chained up in their home and held captive by their mother, their father, John Davis, 53, and Faye Potts, 47. The boys said they endured years of beatings and were also underfed.
In November, prosecutors charged the three adults with murder, saying another Davis boy, Rainbow, 6, died in 1991 after John Davis and Potts beat him. Carrie Davis did not prevent the abuse and helped burn the body, according to prosecutors.
The Davises and Potts were arrested 11 months ago. Potts has pleaded innocent. John Davis hanged himself in March after facing additional charges of raping a teenage girl in 1995.
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