72-Year-Old Grandmother Accused of Beating 8-Year-Old Granddaughter to Death

Photo: Nash County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

A 72-year-old North Carolina woman is accused of beating her 8-year-old granddaughter to death, according to a statement fromthe Nash County Sheriff’s Office.

Shortly after 4 p.m., deputies were notified that a child had been taken to the Emergency Room at Nash UNC Healthcare with severe injuries and pronounced dead upon arrival.

Patricia Ricks was charged with one count of first-degree murder and one count of felony child abuse with serious injury, police stated.

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Ricks was the legal guardian of six children living inside her home, including the child who died from her injuries, Sheriff Keoth Stone saidduring a press conference. The surviving children were taken into state custody, he added.

Ricks was taken to the sheriff’s office where she made no statement, officials said in a statement.

She is currently being held without bond at the Nash County Detention Center. It was unclear whether she obtained an attorney to speak on her behalf.

source: people.com