Richmond Woman Arraigned Wednesday

Rebecca Matthews

A Richmond woman accused of killing her infant was arraigned in a Ray County Circuit courtroom on Wednesday morning.  Rebecca Matthews, 24, pleaded not guilty to one count of child abuse – resulting in death.  She will next appear in court on Jan. 2 at 8:30 a.m.  A second person charged in the case, Dennis Matthews, 25, is scheduled to appear Thursday morning for a preliminary hearing.

The couple is accused of physically injuring their three-week-old child, Aprhil Matthews, in August.  The infant died as a result of “blunt force trauma to the chest with internal bleeding,” according to the autopsy report.  Each are being held in lieu of $500,000.