A New York mother is behind bars after police say they located the body of a young girl who had been missing since January.
Latasha Mott, 29, appeared in the Syracuse City Court on Monday morning, charged with first-degree manslaughter and concealment of a corpse, in connection with the death of her daughter, 5-year-old Nefertiti Harris.
Documents obtained by the Syracuse Post-Standard indicate that police found the body at around 11 a.m. last Tuesday. Syracuse Police Chief Joe Cecile said the girl’s body was discovered in a wooded section off Salt Springs Road in Syracuse.
Mott is accused of lying to family members for almost three months about Neferatti’s whereabouts after they reported her missing. During questioning, however, Mott changed her story and admitted she beat the victim with a belt on January 5 before hiding her body.
Mott’s boyfriend was also questioned but is reportedly being uncooperative.
On Monday, Mott entered a plea of not guilty. Her lawyer, Don Kelly stated that she was currently in custody, with bail set at $500,000 cash or a $1 million bond, AP reports. Kelly added that it was premature to provide additional comments on the case.
“It’s way too early for me to even make any assessment in respect to the case.”
The story is developing. Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo: Nefertiti Harris/Family Handout via Post-Standard]
