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Hardin murder suspects appear in court

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Jessica Mae Hardin and Joyce Garrard, both accused of murder in the death of nine-year-old Savannah Hardin, appeared in an Etowah County court Thursday for their bond hearings. Hardin is Savannah's stepmother and Garrard is Savannah's grandmother. The women are charged with murder in Savannah's death for allegedly forcing the 9-year-old girl to run for three hours until she collapsed from seizures. Savannah died three days later from dehydration. Both Garrard and Hardin were present in court Thursday and requested lower bonds. Currently they each have a $500,000 cash bond. Both women are allegedly receiving death threats in the Etowah County Detention Center, where they are being held. Jessica Hardin states that she wants to be reunited with son and newborn baby. Hardin gave birth to a baby under the guard of Etowah County deputies the day after being arrested and charged in her stepdaughter's death. Savannah's father, Robert Hardin, also attended his wife's hearing. Jessica Hardin's defense attorney says Robert Hardin and other family members attended the hearing in support of both Jessica Hardin and Joyce Garrard. Prosecutors in the case said Thursday that Savannah was allegedly forced to carry fire wood as part of her punishment for eating a candy bar. They said before she collapsed, she was crawling, vomiting and begging to stop. The prosecution called Garrard the "drill sergeant from hell" today in court. There's also a video of the grandmother telling the bus driver she would run Savannah until she couldn't run anymore." Etowah County District Attorney Jimmie Harp is expected to upgrade Joyce Garrard's charge of murder to capital murder. The prosecution announced today they will file a capital murder charge against Garrard. The capital murder charge carries the possibility of the death penalty. The judge is taking arguments under advisement and will make a ruling. There is no word yet on when that decision will be made. The case is expected to go before a grand jury Monday, March 5.

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Keywords: Hardin, Etowah County, bond, hearings, suspects, court

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