A hearing will take place Aug. 10 to determine if a young woman, whose daughter died as the result of child abuse, will be allowed to change venues for her trial in September.
Traci Carpenter, 22, is not charged with killing her 18-month-old baby in 2006, but the aggravated child neglect charge against her still carries a mandatory 15 to 25 years in prison if she is convicted.
The case gained attention last year when Ms. Carpenter’s ex-boyfriend, Brian Rutherford, was tried and subsequently acquitted of first-degree murder for the death of Sierra Carpenter.
During that trial, witnesses accused Ms. Carpenter of ultimately causing the child’s death through her repeated poking of the young girl’s forehead. Prosecutors said after the trial that they had no intention of charging Ms. Carpenter with the murder, stating they still believed Mr. Rutherford killed the baby. Ms. Carpenter’s attorneys allege in their motion to change venue that the “emotional reaction” of various family members related to the victim has caused the case to be “highly publicized.”
They say it will be “extremely difficult” to find an impartial jury in Hamilton County.
See tomorrow’s Times Free Press for complete details.
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