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Co-defendants in the September beating death of a 2-year-old girl appeared Monday in Bowie County District Court for pretrial hearings.

Neil Patrick DeWitt, 38, and his girlfriend, Latoya Smith, 26, appeared consecutively for status hearings before 202nd District Judge Leon F. Pesek Jr. Both have been charged with capital murder and face the death penalty if convicted of beating DeWitt’s biological daughter, River Phoenix Williams, to death last year.

The baby was found unresponsive by members of the Texarkana, Texas, Police Department on Sept. 14 at the couple’s home o...