Prosecution Unable to Respond to Defense’s Not Criminally Responsible Claims on Behalf of Mother Accused of Murdering Children

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During a Nov. 14 reception court hearing, Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa Phinn set a trial date for a murder defendant and presided over parties as they discussed possible plea offers on behalf of a mother who is accused of brutally killing her two young children.

Jameria Hall, 30, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of child abuse resulting in death, and one count of use of a deadly weapon with intentional injury in connection to the deaths of her son, 8-year-old Davin Thomas, and her daughter, 6-year-old Da’Neria Thomas in their apartment on the 500 block of Coventry Road on Aug. 24, 2021.

According to the Baltimore Sun, authorities were alerted of the homicide after a maintenance man was ordered to check Hall’s apartment due to reports of a “foul smell.” 

There, Davin was found in a sleeping bag with a knife stuck in his chest and a black trash bag tied to his head. Da’Neria was found in the bathtub with an “apparent clothing object” around her neck, according to WBAL-TV 11 News.

At Monday’s court proceeding, Judge Phinn and counsels agreed to a Dec. 5 trial date.

In addition, the prosecution indicated that evidence for the case had been collected and “potential witnesses” are completing a mental health evaluation of Hill.

Doctors have previously concluded that the defendant “does not suffer from a psychotic illness” and that she had been faking symptoms of one in a prior report.

The prosecution has not yet offered a plea deal as Hall’s defense attorneys, Mary Pizzo and Deborah Levi, filed a Not Criminally Responsible (NCR) plea, which is contingent on the results of Hall’s mental health evaluation.

Parties are scheduled to reconvene on Dec. 5 for trial as they await competency results.

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