Mother Charged in Malnourished Girl's Death

(Sept. 3) -- New York City authorities have filed charges against the mother of a 4-year-old girl who weighed 15 pounds when she was found dead in her family's Brooklyn apartment.

Detectives found lengths of twine attached to the headboard of a bed inside the home, and the rope was consistent with bruises on Marchella Pierce's ankles, suggesting the little girl might have been tied to the bed, The New York Times and local media reported.

Police were called to Marchella's mother's apartment on Madison Street in the Bushwick neighborhood at about 7:15 a.m. Thursday to investigate a report of an unresponsive child. Officers arrived to find tiny, malnourished Marchella unconscious on a bed. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities have charged Carlotta Brett-Pierce, 30, with assault, endangering the welfare of a child and drug possession. Brett-Pierce allegedly told police she had discovered her daughter at 6:30 a.m. and attempted to resuscitate her. Why she waited nearly an hour to call 911 remains unclear.


Before Brett-Pierce's arrest, Marchella's father, Tyrone Pierce, told the New York Daily News that his estranged wife is a "wonderful mother."

"I've never seen her hurt her kids," he said.

Brett-Pierce has two other children, ages 6 years and 9 months. A MySpace page in her name describes her as a "proud parent."

Pierce told the newspaper that his daughter had been born with underdeveloped lungs. Doctors inserted a tube in her trachea to help her breathe. She had been in hospitals for much of her life, the father said.

When asked about the twine that was allegedly found on the headboard, Pierce said he had never witnessed his daughter being restrained. "Maybe it was to hold the bed together," he said.

According to the New York Post, Brett-Pierce has been the subject of two probes by the Administration for Children's Services, and a private child development company had been hired by ACS to work with the family.

Calls made to ACS by AOL News on Friday were not returned.

"We don't yet know all the facts in this case, but we will get to the bottom of it as quickly as possible, and we'll take every appropriate action as quickly as possible," John B. Mattingly, the commissioner of children's services, said in the statement obtained by the Times.

The private child development company no longer works with ACS. A city source told The Associated Press that the company had failed to meet with the family two to three times per week, as required.

Brett-Pierce's other children are now in ACS custody.

The Post also reported that investigators served a search warrant on Brett-Pierce's apartment Thursday night, during which narcotics were allegedly found.