Cole County judge grants release of woman accused in child death
A Cole County judge issued an order Monday granting the release of a woman accused in the death of a Jefferson City child.
Cole County Circuit Court Judge Jon Beetem granted the release of Quatavia Givens with specific conditions. According to the order, Givens must post a $5,000 cash or surety bond and keep a GPS monitor on her until further notice.
Givens was indicted for felony abuse or neglect of a child in late 2018 after the death of 4-year-old Darnell Gray. Givens reported Gray missing, touching off several days of searches for the boy, police said. Authorities allege she had actually killed the boy and hidden his body.
Gray was found dead in the 2100 block of Louis Circle in Jefferson City in October.
Cole County Prosecuting Attorney Locke Thompson said his office argued against lowering Givens’ bond.
“We think she is a flight risk,” Thompson said. “We argued to the court that she is a flight risk and the judge disagreed.”
Thompson also said Givens was trying to get to Florida when she was arrested and has resisted coming out of her cell for hearings. Investigators also say she reported Darnell Gray missing despite knowing he was dead.
“It’s just evasive and deceptive behavior all the way around and I think that makes her a risk going forward,” Thompson said.
Givens was jailed on a $100,000 cash bond in March. That bond was changed to $5,000 cash or surety on Monday.
According to the court order, Givens cannot live in a home or be in the presence of children who are not her own. Givens will be allowed to see her own children under supervision, the court order said. She is also prohibited from having contact with the victim’s family, the court order said.
Givens’ next court date is set for the end of October.
As of 2:45 p.m. Monday, Givens had not bonded out of jail.
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