Mom said toddler was abducted, but his body was found in her yard, NJ officials say
UPDATE: Nakira Griner was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Feb. 21, according to prosecutors.
The original story is below.
A woman was found guilty of first-degree murder in connection with the death of her toddler, whose body was found “desecrated” in the yard of her New Jersey home in 2019, officials said.
The remains of 23-month-old son Daniel Griner, Jr. were found hours after Nakira Griner told Bridgeton police that he had been taken from her the evening of Feb. 8, 2019, a news release from the department said.
She is accused of lying about her child being abducted during a walk to a local store, according to the Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office.
A jury also found Griner guilty of second-degree desecration of human remains, second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, fourth-degree tampering with evidence and second-degree false public alarm on Jan. 4, the office announced in a news release.
The 28-year-old from Bridgeton is accused of burning and dismembering Daniel’s body, NJ.com reported.
Prosecutors accused Griner of admitting during a jail call that she beat her son and “did what she did to him” to hide his bruises, the Associated Press reported.
Ultimately, an autopsy revealed Daniel died from blunt force trauma, according to prosecutors.
McClatchy News contacted Griner’s attorney for comment on Jan. 4 and didn’t immediately receive a response.
This story was originally published January 4, 2023 at 2:09 PM with the headline "Mom said toddler was abducted, but his body was found in her yard, NJ officials say."
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