Trial for woman accused of killing 4-year-old Jefferson City boy moved to next year

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

The trial for a woman accused of killing a 4-year-old Jefferson City boy is now expected to happen next year.

The two-week trial for Quatavia Givens is scheduled to start on March 13, 2023. Givens was previously expected to head to trial in September 2022.

Her defense team notified the court at a hearing in March about a scheduling conflict.

A Cole County grand jury indicted Givens on an upgraded first-degree murder charge and other crimes in August for the death of Darnell Gray.

Givens reported Gray missing in late October 2019. She allegedly told police the boy wandered away or was taken, according to court documents. Gray's body was found several days later in the 2100 block of Louis Circle.

Givens is accused of hitting and smothering Gray, which resulted in his death, according to court documents.