Catrica Hardy: Mississippi woman faces manslaughter charges as 4-year-old girl's decomposed body found in closet

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GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI: A 34-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with the death of a 4-year-old girl, whose decomposed body was discovered in a closet.

After an investigation, Catrica Hardy now faces charges of manslaughter and child deprivation of necessaries with substantial harm. 

Additional details emerged during the police inquiry into the child's residence, shedding light on how Hardy is linked to the death of 4-year-old Zyiah Smith.

Police found 4-year-old dead in closet

According to Greenville Police Department, at approximately 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, January 7, 2024, the department received a call reporting a welfare concern for a child residing in the 2000 block of Johnnie Lane. 

The police went to speak with a relative who was supposed to be caring for the child. Subsequently, officers were directed to a closet where they discovered the child's remains. ,

Further investigation led the officers to communicate with the child's parents, who claimed they hadn't seen their child for several weeks. 

The parents explained that they had come to the residence on Johnnie Lane to talk with a relative, Catrica Hardy who was responsible for the four-year-old.

Catrica Hardy is taken into custody

Chief Marcus Turner reported that the father, who had sole custody of the child identified as Zyiah Smith, entrusted his cousin, Hardy, to care for the child due to financial struggles until he could stabilize his situation as per WAPT.

Following the discovery of Smith's remains, Hardy was taken into custody and charged. 

An autopsy by the State Crime Lab will be conducted to determine the cause of the child's death. Hardy is currently detained at the Washington County Regional Correctional Facility.

Significantly, in a recent case, a 4-year-old boy was tortured and beaten to death by both his father and mother.

After the child's tragic demise, his mother, Mary Yoger, was sentenced to 42 years in prison for failing to protect her 4-year-old son, Judah Morgan, from the abuse that ultimately led to his death

The distressing circumstances involved the child being found naked and bound with duct tape in a dark basement, enduring extended periods without proper care due to struggles with potty training. 

Additionally, Judah's father, Alan, faced charges of physically assaulting his son and was sentenced to 70 years in prison.