Child murder trial will move out of Jefferson City

(AP) — The first-degree murder trial of a woman charged in a 4-year-old Jefferson City boy’s death will be moved to another county, a Cole County judge ruled Wednesday.

Cole County Prosecutor Locke Thompson said Quatavia Givens’ case would likely be reassigned to a judge determined by the Missouri Supreme Court, KMIZ reported.

Thompson said Givens’ attorneys asked for the change of venue because the case received wide publicity in Cole County.

Givens was charged with the death of Darnell Gray, who went missing while Givens was watching him. She reported him missing on Oct. 25, 2018, prompting several searches. His body was found in a wooded area on Oct. 30.

Investigators said Darnell died of suffocation and suffered blunt force trauma.

Givens has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, child endangerment and abandoning a corpse.