A Criminal Court jury was told Tuesday that a mother was seen at Children's Hospital trying to smother her four-year-old son.
Monica Hammers of Smyrna, Tn., is facing charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse in the May 6, 2011, incident.
The state called a sitter, Omega Harkless, who said she witnessed the 41-year-old mother put a pillow over the child's face for several seconds.
Dr. Douglas Laman said the boy had been placed in the hospital for a week for an experiment on whether he really had a problem with diarhea. He said when the child was with his father there was no problem, but when he was with his mother she reported there was.
He said he had been unable to find much wrong with the child, and to settle the issue the boy was to be placed on regular food for the week. The sitter was there to make sure he was not given any type medication.
Dr. Laman said he received a call the night of the incident and was told the child had been whining and then the sitter saw the mother shaking her son and then holding the pillow over the child. He said the mother was escorted from the hospital.
Detective Galen Fugh said he got involved the next day, interviewing the sitter and trying to talk to the mother, who declined.
The child was afterward put into protective custody.