Investigation into girl's death ongoing
Lack of motive, evidence hinder arrest
Ta'Mya Grant
ST. STEPHEN — Investigators know that Ta'Mya Grant, 7, died after she was beaten in the head with a piece of wood, but they don't know who inflicted the injury because a potentially key piece of the weapon was missing.
It's just one of the mysteries that remain in the girl's Sept. 29 death in her family's Welch Street rental home. The investigation continues, but police and State Law Enforcement Division agents lack a motive and enough evidence to make an arrest.
"There's just nothing," St. Stephen Police Chief John Waters said.
The piece of two- or three-inch trim board with a nail embedded in it that was used to strike Ta'Mya probably came from inside the house, Waters said. He estimated there were about 200 pieces of wood laying around as the house was being renovated.
The portion of the board that caused Ta'Mya's injury broke off and was found on the floor, but the part held by the assailant wasn't there, Waters said.
It might be the only item taken from the house because it doesn't appear that anything was stolen, Waters said. Investigators also have eliminated sexual assault as a motive. The girl's clothing wasn't disturbed, the police chief said.
Ta'Mya had been left alone at the house when the attack occurred. Waters said the investigation showed that her mother, Shaveta McGill, tried unsuccessfully to find a baby sitter the night of Sept. 28.
McGill told police she left at 10:30 p.m. to get cigarettes. She walked to a nearby residence and later met with two male friends, who drove her home, Waters said. She went inside, but quickly came back out, saying "my daughter's been hurt," the police chief said. The 911 call was received at 1 a.m. Sept. 29.
McGill reported that the front door was open; she doesn't remember if she had locked it. There was no forced entry to the house, leading Waters to conclude that the killer probably entered and exited through the front door. Only McGill and her brother, who also stayed at the house, had keys, Waters said. The brother was at a sporting event.
McGill moved out after the slaying and stayed with her mother, Betty Secord. She eventually quit her job at a nearby convenience store and moved to Goose Creek, Secord said.
Secord recently recalled the last day of her granddaughter's life. Secord picked up Ta'Mya from St. Stephen Elementary School that day.
"I always called her my girlfriend and she would laugh," Secord said.
Secord said McGill, who was 16 when Ta-Mya was born, had never even hit her child. "She would not hurt Ta'Mya," she said.
Secord said she is certain that somebody in this town of fewer than 2,000 residents knows what happened.
"I say justice is going to be served one day," she said.
Anyone with information on the death of Ta'Mya is asked to call St. Stephen police at 567-3116 or Crime Stoppers at 554-1111.
Reach Nita Birmingham at 745-5858 or nbirmingham@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
This article has 18 comment(s)
Posted by tygers1231 on March 24, 2008 at 6:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Does anyone else agree that the mother knows something and she isn't talking??????????? The should arrest her just on the basis she left the beautiful girl at home at 1030 pm ALONE!!! Child NEGLECT
Posted by jrobinson on March 24, 2008 at 7:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Mom knows something
Posted by jerseygirl on March 24, 2008 at 8:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a shame...... I hope that the person/persons that know something will come foward. The person that did this,or the people that know what happened, may you NEVER sleep a peaceful night until this case is solved.
Posted by RTC on March 24, 2008 at 9:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why would someone randomly walk into a house and beat a little girl to death for no apparent reason?
They wouldn't. This was not done by some stranger passing through town.
I too, believe that the mother knows something, and I still theorize that this child was killed because she was interferring with someone's plans for the evening.
Maybe they only meant to knock her out, but it didn't work that way.
I pray that they find the murderer, so that this little girl's unexcusable death may be avenged.
Posted by noname on March 24, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
tygers1231, I totally agree with your post, the mother definitely knows more than what she's telling......
Posted by SomeTruthPlease on March 24, 2008 at 9:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have always believed that this was directly connected to the mother, or someone questionable that she associates with. She left her for over two hours, cannot remember if she locked the door, and it's highly unlikely that someone came to that house to harm that little girl without bringing their own murder weapon. Very, very fishy...I think her little "run" for cigarettes was to try and establish and alibi, which has apparently worked, at least for now.
Posted by Hey_U_Guys on March 24, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I cannot believe the mother isn't being held for further questioning. Why would the police be told "her mother, Shaveta McGill, tried unsuccessfully to find a baby sitter the night of Sept. 28." It doesn't look a little bit suspicious that she tried to find a babysitter, couldn't, so she left the child to go out for "cigarettes" and then returns a few hours later to discover her child is dead? She had this child when she was 16. She has missed out on being a teenager and young adult. Maybe she saw the child as an inconvenience.
Someone told the mother to leave the house for a while and go meet up with someone who could confirm her alibi. Then, that person took that little girl's life.
Why couldn't the grandmother have been asked to watch the child that night? Maybe because she would've said yes.
"Secord recently recalled the last day of her granddaughter's life. Secord picked up Ta'Mya from St. Stephen Elementary School that day."
She already had the child in her care, she picked her up from school that day.
Posted by dreamer on March 24, 2008 at 11:09 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder if her run for cigarettes was a run for a drug fix?
And the two men that she met while she was out, I'm sure they were fine, upstanding citizens. After all, she was with them for two hours while her seven year old was home alone.
If the grandmother loves her the way she says...she needs to wake up and push for further invesstigation.
Posted by theronce on March 24, 2008 at 12:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If not already happening, I think that this sort of thing, negligence and infanticide and abandonment, will increase in frequency in the coming years. These young people who were neglected or coddled or excused of any responsibility as children themselves have nothing to fall back on emotionally or morally when faced with rearing a child that acts just like they once did.
Posted by ln1959 on March 24, 2008 at 1:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Its pretty strange to me that she had time to go into the house, and run back out before these two guys drove off and let them know that her child was hurt. By the time she put the key in the door and walk back to the room, shouldn't these guys have been gone. Oh did she just walked in and turn around and ran back out cause she already knew that her daughter was hurt.
Posted by 29483 on March 24, 2008 at 1:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Im wondering why it took the mother 2 hrs to go and get some cigs? Could she not have gotten them earlier in the day, she knew she was going to run out. It makes no sense to me. Someone needs to get her and knock her in the head with something and show her how it feels.
Posted by uniequnough on March 24, 2008 at 2:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
couldn't the mother at least be charged with neglect. Unless this child invited someone else over while her mother was gone, my first suspect would be the mother.
Posted by buckeyegirl on March 24, 2008 at 2:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My prayers go out to the family. I will keep on praying that they will soon find out the person who committed this awful crime. God Bless the Grant family.
Posted by justlivinlife on March 24, 2008 at 2:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The mother should be held accountable for this horrific crime because of leaving her child home alone. If I were to leave mine alone, DSS would be called. If something happened to my child while she was not being watched by an adult then I should be held accountable. It is our job as parents to make sure that they are properly cared for. People who have them and don't won't them should no longer be able to reproduce and then maybe there wouldn't be so many children in this world that are not taken care of the way they should be.
Posted by ForPnC on March 24, 2008 at 3:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm not believing the mother's take on this at all. For now she should at least be charged with Child Neglect resulting in death.
Posted by lexylady on March 24, 2008 at 6:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mommy Dearest seems to be the perp in this case. This is way too bazaar. I think the Police know, but can't prove it!
This is so very sad. I feel so bad for that little girl..
Posted by GG on March 24, 2008 at 6:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
MOMMY -
leaves child alone for two hours to go get cigs!!!
meets two men !!!
child dies !!!
MOMMY -
Needs to go to jail!!!
Posted by dianed43 on March 25, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a sad story. how do these SOB's who did this or know something sleep at night and look at themselves in the mirror. these people thinking they got away with this, so big and bad to do this to a little girl. if they were so tough they would step up and come forward. to those involved....you did not get away with this...how will you explain this to Jesus on your judgement day? may this little angel rest in peace.