Lancaster woman pleads guilty in beating death of toddler. Sentencing to come
Editor’s note: The defendant was previously identified in this story as the mother of the child who died. Prosecutors and her lawyer said the woman was the girlfriend of the child’s father. She was caregiver at the time the child was found by police, prosecutors said.
A Lancaster woman faces at least 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to a toddler 2018 beating death.
Ramesha Monet Brantley, 24, pleaded guilty Thursday in criminal court under an Alford plea to homicide by child abuse, three counts of child abuse and neglect, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
An Alford plea allows a defendant to not admit guilt, but accept the consequences of a guilty plea because, if the case went to trial the defendant would likely be found guilty, South Carolina Judge Brian Gibbons said in court.
Brantley faces 20 years to life for homicide by child abuse, Gibbons said. The neglect charges each carry up to 10 years and the drug charge carries up to 15 years.
The victim, De’Yontae Monterio Miller Jr., was found dead by police in November 2018 at the family’s 14th Street home, 6th Circuit Assistant Solicitor Luck Campbell said in court. An autopsy showed the 15-month-old had been beaten on the head, neck, torso and limbs, Campbell said.
Two other children under age 4 also were present in the home, Campbell said. The house had no running water, but had drugs, drug paraphernalia, and open containers of rat poison and other chemicals, Campbell said.
“The home was plainly in horrible condition,” Campbell said in court.
Brantley admitted to police after the child’s death that two of the children were crying and “she snapped,” Campbell said. Brantley confessed that she beat the child who died, Campbell said.
An autopsy and forensic review also found injuries to another child, Campbell said.
Gibbons said he will sentence Brantley later in December.
Brantley did not speak in court except to plead guilty. Her lawyer, 6th Circuit Deputy Public Defender William Frick, did not comment in court.
The hearing was held in Chester County, which is in the same judicial circuit as Lancaster County.
This story was originally published December 3, 2020 at 1:22 PM.
