DESTINY JOHNSON - 1 yo - Accused: Mother's BF; Jeffrey Simmons - Pensacola FL

Mom pleads no contest in baby's death, likely to testify at trial of accused killer

Jul. 25, 2013  

A visibly distraught Pensacola mother pleaded no contest today to charges connected to the death of her 1-year-old daughter and will likely testify in the trial of the baby’s accused killer.

Demetria Johnson, 28, went before Circuit Judge Jan Shackelford on child neglect charges stemming from the death of Destiny Johnson, reportedly at the hands of her boyfriend Jeffrey Simmons.

In February, Johnson’s two other children reported to investigators that Simmons, 30, picked the child up by the neck and threw her into a bed when she would not stop crying. Johnson was reportedly in the room when Simmons threw her daughter.

The baby, who suffered severe injuries to her neck and face and bleeding to her brain, died about two weeks later on March 12 in Sacred Heart Hospital.

Simmons and Johnson were arrested at the hospital Feb 27.

Simmons now faces a second-degree murder charge in the child’s death and an additional charge of aggravated battery on a child, stemming from an alleged incident where Simmons also used excessive physical punishment on Johnson’s 7-year-old daughter.

With tears streaming down her face today, Johnson pleaded no contest to a charge of child neglect with great bodily harm and another charge of neglect without great bodily harm. Simmons' trial is scheduled to begin next month but will likely be continued to the fall.

Johnson has remained in jail on a $30,000 bond since her arrest. Her two other children, ages 3 and 7, are reportedly now in the care of their father.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20130725/NEWS11/130725012/Mom-pleads-no-contest-baby-s-death-likely-testify-trial-accused-killer?nclick_check=1