Givens pleads guilty in Jefferson City child murder case

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A woman accused of killing a Jefferson City child in 2018 pleaded guilty Friday in a Cole County courtroom.

Quatavia Givens pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, child abuse and abandoning a corpse in the death of 4-year-old Darnell Gray. She had been charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, first-degree endangering the welfare of a child and abandoning a corpse in relation to the death.

The agreement included a life prison sentence for murder, 15 years for child abuse and four years for abandoning a corpse, to be served concurrently.

Givens was deemed mentally competent to stand trial last year after being found unable to assist in her defense in August 2023.

Court documents say that Givens allegedly struck and smothered Gray, resulting in his death. Gray's body was found in the 2100 block of Louis Circle after several days of searching, involving police and volunteers. Givens, who was caring for the boy at the time, initially told police he was missing, according to court documents.

Givens' trial had been scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. July 23 in Pulaski County, according to online court records.