It’s another day of testimony in Boone County for a Platte County jury in the second-degree murder trial of a Columbia woman accused of helping kill her 2-year-old son. 27 year old Keyonda Lumpkin is accused of killing Cortez Johnson in June of 2008. The child’s father, Horace Johnson, also is charged. His trial starts in December. One juror had to be excused Tuesday because of graphic testimony and photos. Prosecutors and Columbia Police say Lumpkin and Johnson used many items to beat their son. They say the boy had been beaten so hard in the face that his teeth were loose. Medical officials testified that they found about 200 bruises and burns on the boy’s body in varying stages of healing when he was brought to the University Hospital. The cause of death was a blow to the head. Keyonda says she couldn’t stop her boyfriend from beating the child. Police say she had opportunities to get the boy out of the home.
