Jurors convict Alabama woman in 2020 beating death of toddler

FLORENCE, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama jury on Thursday convicted a woman of felony murder for the 2020 beating death of her boyfriend’s 3-year-old son. WAFF-TV reports jurors in Lauderdale County returned the guilty verdict against 23-year-old Yalrick Pride during their first day of deliberations. Kaiden Garner died in the summer of 2020. Authorities said Pride and Kaiden’s father initially tried to make it look like the boy had died from being left in a hot car. However, investigators said they determined the child had died from blunt force trauma. The father, Blake Townsend, was charged with capital murder but pleaded guilty to aggravated child abuse and was sentenced to life in prison. He testified that he saw Pride hitting his son with a belt.