St. Louis, Missouri (KSDK)-- The mother charged with brutally beating, strangling, then tossing her eighteen month old son into a trash dumpster pleaded not guilty during her arraignment in St. Louis Circuit Court yesterday.

28 year old Melissa Shawneece Jackson of south St. Louis is charged with first degree murder and felony abuse of a child resulting in death after incidents last May 25th that led to the death of Marquell Jackson.

Autopsy reports indicated the little boy suffered at least three separate fatal injuries while in the sole care of his mother, Melissa Jackson. The child had severe brain trauma, multiple bone fractures, a lacerated liver, ligature marks on his neck, and internal bleeding from the attack.

Investigators and volunteers found the child's body in a trash dumpster in alley behind his mother's home in the 2300 block of South Jefferson, a half hour after relatives reported the little boy missing.

Jackson remains jailed without bond in the case. She is now scheduled to return to court in September for a trial setting.


http://www.ksdk.com/news/article/266930/3/Mother-of-child-found-dead-in-trash-pleads-not-guilty