Mansfield Woman Charged With Murdering 9-Yr-Old Niece

(Mansfield, TX) — A Mansfield woman is now charged with murder in the death of her nine-year-old niece over the weekend.

Police arrested 42 year old Mercia Sneed on Saturday on a charge of injury to a child. Investigators say she hurt her niece, Melodi Sneed, so severely the girl had a heart attack. The child was pronounced dead at a local hospital, and the charge against Sneed was upgraded to capital murder. Neighbors say the family has only lived in the home on Eagle Drive a few weeks.

Sneed remains in custody at the Tarrant County Jail.