Mother Held Without Bail For Charges Related To 2-Year-Old's Death In Whitman

WHITMAN (CBS ) -- The Whitman mother charged in connection with the death of her two-year-old daughter was ordered held without bail at a hearing Friday. Shaniqua Leonard, 29, has been charged with reckless endangerment of a child.

She was initially held without bail after her arraignment in Brockton District Court Thursday because her lawyer was unable to attend.

Lyric Farrell was found unresponsive inside a Washington Street apartment on Dec. 28. She was rushed to a hospital for treatment, but on Dec. 31, she was taken off life support and died. According to the police report, doctors believe Lyric Farrell died from a "non-accidental traumatic head injury."

Prosecutors said Friday that Lyric also had deep scratches on her body and that her injuries could not have been self-inflicted.

Leonard told police, on the night of Dec. 28, she put her children to bed and it was not until hours later, when she was waking them up to use the bathroom, that she discovered Lyric was unresponsive.

According to prosecutors, interviews with other children instead show Lyric was never put to bed that night. "She was acting very strange, she was propped up on a couch, she couldn't hold her head up, she couldn't walk, and she was heard throughout the house wheezing loudly and having significant difficulty breathing." One child said when Lyric's breathing stopped completely, they saw Leonard check Lyric's pulse at her neck and wrist. Leonard "then announced to the children that Lyric was dead and instructed them to go upstairs and get dressed and it was only after they were dressed that mom called 911."

Prosecutors said Leonard spoke with the 911 operator "in a very calm, flat manner."

Seventeen videos from the two days leading up to Lyric's death were taken from Leonard's phone. Prosecutors said they show the child not being able to hold her own head up, staring off into space, shaking while she tries to drink milk, stumbling as she tries to get dressed, and being unable to stand up.

Police said in the report that interviews with Leonard and her other children revealed that Lyric would often hit her head against the ground, scratch herself, pull out chunks of her hair and refuse to eat.

The report also says that based on the videos, police believe these behaviors may have been a result of medical distress.

They said Leonard's inaction "caused [Lyric's] medical condition to deteriorate and ultimately led to her death."

Leonard is a mother of seven. Lyric had not been in her mother's custody for the majority of her life. She was taken away from Leonard at about two-months-old and returned to Leonard about a month before her death, prosecutors said.

Leonard is also currently on probation for an assault and battery with a dangerous weapon charge. Prosecutors said she has a dozen prior restraining orders and has been arraigned on numerous other charges.

A dangerous hearing has been scheduled for Monday.