Lafayette mother pleads not guilty to second-degree murder in death of her 3-year-old son

LAFAYETTE, Louisiana — A Lafayette mother has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the death of her 3-year-old son.

The Advertiser reports (http://bit.ly/ZTVxzx ) 22-year-old Laura Smith waived formal arraignment and entered her plea last week at the Lafayette Parish Courthouse.

A grand jury earlier this month indicted Smith on a charge of second-degree cruelty to a child in the Nov. 29 beating death of her son, Julian Madera.

Smith's then-boyfriend, 21-year-old Landon Broussard, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of the child, who died of severe blunt force trauma to the head, face and neck.

Prosecutors have indicated they will seek the death penalty against Broussard.

Information from: The Advertiser, http://www.theadvertiser.com

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