Grandmother on trial for murder charges for killing 9-year-old granddaughter from Alabama

Alabama jury has convicted a woman for capital murder for the death of her granddaughter of 9 years of age, on Friday, although she rejected the claim saying she did not mean any harm while she was punishing the little girl for a lie.

Joyce Hardin Garrard is now faced with a penalty of death or life without parole for the death of Savannah Hardin in February 2012.

Garrard has not displayed any reaction during the verdict, but hugged her 3 attorneys before being led out of the court. She glared at the audiences when she walked out of the court in silence.

Relatives broke down in the courtroom sobbing endlessly and eventually running out of the courtroom.

The judge announced that the sentencing phase, where a mini-trial within the trial will start on Monday. Jurors will hear additional testimony and come to a decision whether to sentence Garrard life without parole or death, although the final decision will be taken by the judge under Alabama law.

It was claimed by the authority that Garrard, 49, had forced Savannah to run and carry woods for hours as a punishment for a lie about candy. Savannah eventually underwent a seizure and died at the hospital 3 days later.

Garrard and the defense denied any harm intended towards the girl. Jurors have rejected that claim.

Garrard testified that she made Savannah pick-up sticks in the yard as a punishment the day when she eventually collapsed. Garrard also testified that Savannah ran but only because she had to practice for school races.

Prosecutors challenged that Garrard refused to let her granddaughter stop even after she vomited and begged for ending the punishment. They have also cited a school bus surveillance video which captured Garrard saying she would make Savannah run to teach her a lesson.

Assistant District attorney Carol Griffith mentioned in the closing arguments that the child was killed intentionally. “She was tortured,” Griffith said.

Defense attorney Richard Rhea has described Garrard as a devoted grandmother who helped taking care of Savannah while her father was working abroad.

Griffith said some witnesses who testified seeing Garrard force the little girl to run appeared to be more upset than Garrard herself.

Rhea has urged jurors to ask why none of witness intervened if they saw the girl being abused so awfully.

He said, “I think we have all had the thought: ‘If it was that bad, why didn’t they do something?'” He said witnesses didn’t notify police about their concerns until days later, after they heard girl was on life support.

“Then it becomes ‘Oh yeah, I witnessed boot camp. I witnessed the drill sergeant from hell,'” he said.

Garrard has been in prison for 3 years awaiting her trial. Savannah’s stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin is free on bond while she waits for trial on a murder charge for allegedly failing to intervene in the situation.

Hardin has not pleaded guilty, although the date for her trial has not yet been set.