MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A Shelby County mother accused of killing her four children was scheduled to go to trial Monday. However, that trial was reset until Dec. 14.
Shanynthia Gardner, 34, will be tried on several charges including first degree murder and aggravated child abuse.
This attack happened in 2016, and it received a lot of media attention when it happened. Many people probably remember seeing this in the news or hearing about it. We want to catch you up to speed on what happened.
Investigators said Shanynthia Gardner stabbed four of her five children to death inside their Southeast Shelby County apartment.
Those children ranged from six months to four years old.
She faces a total of 16 counts on everything from child abuse to murder.
An older fifth child was the only survivor. He survived after he ran out of the apartment screaming for help.
In court documents filed last year, Gardner’s attorney said he plans to present an insanity defense.
State law also says mental disease does not necessarily constitute an insanity defense.
The defendant must prove insanity by convincing evidence.
Gardner has had several mental evaluations. The district attorney’s office said it has taken a while to take this case to trial because of multiple victims, mental evaluations, and COVID-19 which caused trial to be reset last year.
Gardner is slated to appear in a Shelby County Courtroom at 9 am on October 25.
WREG will update this page as more information becomes available.