A Florida woman will face first-degree felony murder charges in the death of her young cousin, whom she allegedly sat on as punishment for misbehaving.
According to the Pensacola News Journal, a grand jury Tuesday morning indicted 64-year-old Veronica Green Posey on murder charges in the death of 9-year-old Dericka Lindsay.
Last month, Dericka was apparently “acting out” toward her adoptive parents, Grace and James Smith, according to a search warrant affidavit. The affidavit indicates that several witnesses claimed that Dericka had a hammer and a knife.
Posey told investigators that she sat on Dericka to punish her for “being out of control.” Throughout the punishment, Dericka repeatedly told Posey and the other adults present that she could not breathe, authorities say. However, according to the report, Posey didn’t believe the child, telling her to “quit faking.”
When Posey finally decided to stand up, Dericka was unresponsive, and the family contacted 911. However, it was too late.
If convicted of the felony murder charge, Posey would face an automatic life sentence, the Journal notes.
Read more at the Pensacola News Journal.