Mother of Slain Columbia Toddler Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor Child Care Violation

The death of 3-year-old Elijah LaJeuness remains unsolved.

  The mother of a slain toddler, whose death is still unsolved, pleaded guilty to committing acts that contributed to a child needing assistance from the state, a misdemeanor, in Howard County Circuit Court on Thursday morning. Joaquinia LaJeuness, 29, of Columbia, was sentenced to three years, with all but eleven days suspended, by Judge Richard A. Bernhardt. LaJeuness was granted time served for the eleven days, but will serve two years of supervised probation. The charges stemmed from a November 2010 case in which LaJeuness's son, Elijah LaJeuness, was found with bruises on his head and neck, according to the statement of the facts from the case. Five months after the reported abuse, 3-year-old Elijah was found unresponsive in LaJeuness…

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