An Alabama grandmother has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for running her nine-year-old granddaughter to death as punishment for lying about candy. Joyce Hardin Garrard, described by prosecutors as the 'drill sergeant from hell', was convicted of capital murder in March.
During sentencing on Monday, Garrard told the court she wished she could have her granddaughter Savannah back. Judge Billy Ogletree upheld the jury's recommendation of life without parole, rejecting the death penalty. The jury had voted 7-5 in favour of life imprisonment.
Prosecutors said Garrard forced Savannah to run for hours after school after becoming enraged over a lie. The girl collapsed and vomited outside her rural home in 2012 after running and carrying sticks all afternoon. She died several days later in hospital after being removed from life support.
An autopsy revealed severe dehydration, comparing her condition to that of an athlete running a marathon without water. Surveillance video from a school bus showed Garrard telling the driver: 'She's going to run until I tell her to stop.'
Outside court, Garrard's husband Johnny expressed outrage, claiming his wife was not guilty. Defence lawyer Dani Bone said he was pleased the judge upheld the life sentence, noting that Garrard handled the situation 'like a Christian woman with strong faith.'
The child's stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, is also charged with murder and awaits a separate trial.
