What to Know
- Nakira Griner is charged with murder and other counts in the death of her 23-month-old son, Daniel Griner Jr.
- Officials say the NJ woman first told authorities he had been kidnapped; the boy's burned body was later found in his mom's yard.
- Griner's attorney claims that the Bridgeton woman was suffering from postpartum depression.
A New Jersey mother who allegedly told police she struck her toddler son, killing him, because he wouldn't eat his breakfast has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges.
Nakira Griner entered her plea during an arraignment hearing Monday. The 25-year-old Bridgeton woman is charged in the death of 23-month-old Daniel Griner Jr.
Cumberland County prosecutors have said Griner initially reported that her son had been abducted on Feb. 8 and an intensive search was launched by law enforcement. But the child's burnt remains were found the next day in the yard of Griner's home.
Griner's public defender says she previously sought help for mental health issues and that she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time of her son's death.
Besides murder, Griner is also charged with disturbing human remains, tampering with evidence, child endangerment and false public alarm.
