Hardin trial underway in Gadsden

Joyce Garrard

Opening arguments were made on Monday in the capital murder trial of an Etowah County, Alabama woman accused of running her granddaughter to death. Authorities say Joyce Garrard punished the child for lying about eating a candy bar. In his opening statement, prosecutor Marcus Reid

described the sight of Savannah Hardin being made to run that February day for lying about eating several candy bars.

He told jurors that after three hours, when Hardin was on her hands and knees, throwing up, begging Garrard to stop, the 9-year-old's grandmother still yelled at her to "get up and move."

During the defense's opening statement, attorney Dani Bone told jurors prosecutors would try to hoodwink them, that they had made outlandish claims and that there had never been a case of anyone being run to death.

He used three baseballs in an effort to show Hardin wasn't dehydrated, like prosecutors claimed, but overly hydrated instead and said prosecutors would not be able to prove Garrard intended to kill Hardin.

The first witness on the stand was Hardin's school bus driver, Rayann Holmes. She testified that on the day Hardin was made to run, Garrard approached her about the candy situation. Their conversation was captured on a camera on board the bus.

Holmes said she could see Hardin in the yard running and picking up sticks. Garrard could be heard on the video saying, "she's going to run till I tell her to stop. She's gonna learn...I don't play with her."

Garrard explained to Holmes that Hardin had a medical condition and that she had two large bottles of water with her that she was going to get Hardin to drink.

Holmes said that a couple of days later, Garrard called her and told her Hardin was in the hospital. Holmes said Garrard asked her if the girl had bumped her head on the bus the last time she rode it. Holmes' answer was no, she hadn't.

At one point on the stand, Holmes began crying, saying she should have handled the candy situation herself and she felt partly responsible for the girl's death.

The jurors are under partial sequestration. They have been asked to not read any newspapers, listen to radio with news, avoid social media, and remove all smart phone alerts.

A judge denied a defense attorney's motion to move the trial from Etowah County. Attorney's argued that attention on the case would prevent Garrard from getting a fair trial.