The Stover couple accused in the beating death of three-year-old Blake Litton will face a jury of their peers after both pleaded not guilty in Circuit Court on Thursday.
While Thomas “T.J.” Presley and Jamie Litton made a personal appearances in the courtroom, neither faced the judge. Attorneys for both were present and filed waivers entering not-guilty pleas on their behalf.
Both were bound over to Circuit Court in July after preliminary hearings were held in Associate Circuit Court.
Presley, 21, and Jamie Ann (Miller) Litton, 25, were each charged with second-degree murder and felony child endangerment hours after Blake died at Bothwell Hospital in Sedalia on Feb. 16, 2012.
The second-degree murder charges against Presley and Litton were filed after an autopsy indicated Blake’s death was caused by trauma suffered from a severe beating rather than the original reports of a hit-and-run accident Presley reported to authorities earlier in the day.
According to a probable cause statement filed with the courts, an initial autopsy indicated the injuries Blake suffered included a lacerated liver, ruptured blood vessels in his brain, lacerations to the head, neck, torso, buttocks, legs and arms and visible bruises.
Both Presley and Litton have remained in custody since Feb. 16. While in custody, Presley was charged with third-degree assault on a law enforcement officer stemming from an incident in April. A probation case from a 2011 charge of harassment and trespassing has also been revoked.
The next court appearances for Presley and Litton have not been set. Attorneys have 90 days to modify the arraignment waivers and discuss possible plea bargains.
