Woman Cleared In 14-Month-Old Stepdaughter’s Death After First Being Convicted Of Capital Murder

In 2021, T’Kia Bevily had first been convicted of killing her 14-month-old stepdaughter.

On Friday, the Mississippi woman was declared not guilty of capital murder in the 2017 death of Jurayah Smith. The first conviction was appealed after Bevily’s defense found that one of the jurors was a family member of the victim’s mother. That’s why, in September, Bevily was granted a new trial.

Prosecutors stated, during the first trial, that Bevily had fatally beat the baby in the head. This had happened when the child was in the care of Bevily and Smith’s father, Morris Bevily.

“When I heard Judge Irving say ‘not guilty,’ I was kind of in shock a little bit. And then when it really hit me, I broke down,” Bevily said after the verdict on Friday.

“The evidence just did not support it because it just didn’t happen. She’s been innocent this whole time,” stated Bevily’s lawyer.

Morris’ trial is planned to take place this year, and he is still facing capital murder charges.

“She had to sit through weeks of having her name dragged through the mud, her character dragged through the mud. I believe she was specifically called a murderer and murder weapon today by the state of Mississippi. However, the facts were just not there to support those accusations,” stated Lawrence Blackmon, another of Bevily’s attorneys.

Her lawyers have committed to continue to declare Bevily’s innocence.