A Hall County couple accused in the malnourishment death of their daughter has been granted bond.
Jerrail Maurice Mickens, 31, and Porscha Danielle Mickens, 29, were charged with murder and child cruelty in the death of their 5-year-old daughter, Kylie Mickens.
“While the State did not consent to a bond, we did ask the judge that if she were inclined to grant bond to set a high amount with stringent conditions, and she did so," said Lee Darragh, District Attorney for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit of Georgia.
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports Jerrail Mickens’ bond was set at $150,000 and Porscha Mickens' bond has been set at $50,000. Following their release, both will be required to wear a GPS monitor, and the Division of Family and Children Services will determine if they’re allowed to have contact with their other children, according to a court order.
The Hall County Sheriff's Office previously said that the Mickens were arrested following an autopsy. Kylie Mickens was taken to the hospital by her parents, then the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta by hospital officials, when she was unresponsive. Kylie Mickens weighed only seven pounds at the time of her death.
Defense attorney Corrin Mull said the child was born with a chromosomal deformity, 1p36 deletion syndrome, the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports. The condition reportedly made it difficult for her to eat or drink, and prevented her from gaining or maintaining a healthy weight. Mull said the couple's two other children, an eight year old and a one year old, were perfectly healthy.
The autopsy last month indicated Kylie Mickens was not the victim of a medical illness. "Those autopsy results came and indicated that Kylie’s cause of death was dehydration and malnutrition due to medical neglect and the manner of death ruled homicide," said Hall County Sheriff's spokesman Derreck Booth in a previous statement.
