A 64-year-old woman was arrested and charged for killing her 9-year-old cousin by sitting on her. The woman weighs 325 pounds. [Courtesy of Ulrike Mai / Pixabay]
Veronica Green Posey, a 64-year-old woman from Pensacola, Florida, was trying to punish her 9-year-old cousin, Dericka Lindsay. She felt like Dericka was "being out of control." Posey punished the little girl for acting out by sitting on her. There was one problem though. Posey weighs 325 pounds.
There were two other adults witnessing the punishment, according to the police report. They were identified as Dericka's parents. In the report, the girl allegedly told the adults including Posey that she could not breathe.
When Posey stood up, Dericka was not breathing. She immediately called 911 and began CPR on her cousin.
Posey was charged with one count of homicide and Dericka's parents, Grace Joan Smith, 69, and James Edmund Smith, were charged with child neglect.
The girl's mother, Grace Joan Smith, called her niece Posey to get help punishing her daughter. Smith told the investigators that Posey struck Dericka with a ruler and a metal pipe before sitting on the girl. Posey reportedly sat on Dericka for 10 minutes before the girl complained that she could not breathe. She sat on her cousin two more minutes before getting up.
Posey was released on $125,000 bail Monday. The parents' bonds were set at $75,000 for Grace and $50,000 for James. Both Smiths are remaining in the Escambia County Jail.
The family previously worked with the child welfare system. The investigators and prosecutors are investigating to build a concrete case to find what exactly happened.
Kwak, Min Jung = abiel@ajunews.com
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