Ala. woman charged with killing granddaughter denied bond

GADSEN, Ala. – An Alabama woman accused of forcing her 9-year-old granddaughter to run until she collapsed and later died was denied bond at a Friday morning hearing.

Circuit Judge William Ogletree dismissed a request by Joyce Hardin Garrard, 48, that the charge be dropped.

She is charged with capital murder in the 2012 death of her granddaughter, Savannah Hardin, and has been in jail for almost two years awaiting trial.

Ogletree scheduled a June 23 trial after rejecting arguments of health concerns from the defense.

Prosecutors allege that, after Savannah lied about eating candy, her grandmother made her run for three hours as punishment until she collapsed and died three days later at a hospital.

The girl’s stepmother is also charged for allowing the punishment to occur; both women proclaim they are innocent.