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Mom on trial for torturing, killing her daughter

Posted at 7:07 PM, Sep 27, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-27 19:07:31-04

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Daveeta Walker covered her face with her hands for most of trial. She sat next to her attorney as the prosecution spoke to the jury about the little girl she’s accusing of beating to death - her daughter.

“She got whooped,” said Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Michael Stein to a jury. “She got punched.”

Walker is charged with murdering her daughter after police found Kharisma Richardson lying lifeless in her home in late March. Stein said in the days leading to Kharisma’s death, Walker tortured and beat her, even refusing to giver her water because she wasn’t potty-trained.

Stein told the jury that they'll hear from a witness that said Kharisma was so desperate for water that she would drink out of a toilet.

Officers with the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety testified that when they were dispatched to Walker’s home, she had tears in her eyes when she let them in. One officer said that when he saw the body, he immediately performed CPR. Another officer said her body was discolored due to being covered in bruises. Another officer, who worked in the crime lab, noticed she had burns all over her feet. Walker previously admitted to placing them in scalding hot water, with temperatures of 170 degrees.

The trial continues Wednesday morning.