The Capital Murder trial of Joyce Hardin Garrard is set to begin today (Monday) in Etowah County. Those charges date back to 2012, when Garrard allegedly forced her nine year old granddaughter, Savannah, to run non-stop for some three hours as punishment for eating a candy bar.
Savannah was taken to Riverview Regional Medical Center where she died three days later.
The defense contends that the child actually died of a long-term medical condition – not the punishment inflicted by her grandmother.
Garrard has been held in the Etowah County Jail on a $150,000 bond.
(WBRC/www.myfoxal.com)