MIAMI – Jurors in Miami have begun deliberating the fate of Geralyn Graham, who is accused of killing 4-year-old foster child Rilya Wilson more than a decade ago.
Jurors went behind closed doors Thursday after receiving instructions from Circuit Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez. The trial has lasted two months and involved dozens of witnesses.
Prosecutors say the 67-year-old Graham smothered Rilya in late 2000 and disposed of her body, which has never been found. The defense has focused on the possibility that Rilya might be alive and might have been sold to someone else. Graham insists she is innocent.
Rilya's disappearance wasn't discovered for 15 months, leading to resignations at the Department of Children and Families and passage of reform laws.
If convicted, Graham faces up to life in prison.
The hottest stories ripped from the headlines, from crime to courts, legal and scandal.
