By Shereen Siewert
A Merrill-area mother was convicted Monday in connection with her 15-month-old son’s death, court records show, though an additional plea hearing is on the court calendar for July.
Amber Paige Boyd, 23, was charged May 18 in Lincoln County Circuit Court of child neglect where the consequence is death, two additional child neglect charges, possession of methamphetamine, possession of amphetamine/LSD/Psiolocin, possession of THC, possession of drug paraphernalia to manufacture methamphetamine in the presence of a child younger than 14 and possession of drug paraphernalia.
As part of a plea agreement, Boyd pleaded guilty to the most serious charge and was convicted of child neglect where the consequence is death. All other charges were dismissed but read into the record.
Boyd’s boyfriend, 26-year-old Cody Gene Robertson, is also facing a felony charge of child neglect where the consequence is death in connection with the case. Robertson, who is held on a $25,000 cash bond, is due in court April 13 for a preliminary hearing.
Police say Boyd, at about 1:20 p.m. on Nov. 12, 2020 called 911 to report she found her child not breathing at her town of Corning home. Boyd told dispatchers she discovered the child “like five minutes” earlier, and called another person before calling 911. Officers and rescue crews arrived about 15 minutes later and noted that the child had numerous bruises to the face, head, arms and legs, according to the criminal complaint.
According to court documents, an autopsy performed the following day showed the child had dozens of lesions on the child’s body and weighed just 17 pounds at the time of his death, below the third percentile for children his age. Blood test results showed the boy had methamphetamine in his body at the time of his death and additional tests showed his siblings also had methamphetamine in their urine, according to court documents.
Boyd, who was bound over for trial in September and arraigned in October, remains behind bars.
