Trial delayed for mother accused in 4-year-old's death

Defense hasn't designated a psychological expert; father serving life sentence

Khadijah Wright
Khadijah Wright

Trial has been delayed again in the case of a local woman accused in the 2017 death of her 4-year-old son.

Khadijah Wright, 26, appeared Friday morning with Dallas lawyer Jasmine Crockett for a pretrial hearing before 5th District Judge Bill Miller. Crockett told the court she has yet to designate a psychological expert in the case, which was set for jury selection in a few weeks.

Crockett mentioned that she might pursue a "diminished capacity" defense for Wright in the death of D'Money Lewis. D'Money's father, Benearl Lewis, is serving a term of life without parole in a Texas prison for capital murder.

He was convicted by a Bowie County jury last year.

At a hearing in February, Crockett asked the court to delay jury selection in the case so she could find an expert and Miller reluctantly agreed to do so, admonishing Crockett for her spotty record of making her client's court appearances. At Friday's hearing, First Assistant District Attorney Kelley Crisp asked the judge to set a deadline for Crockett to designate an expert so the state has the opportunity to have Wright evaluated by its expert in advance of trial.

Miller scheduled the case for jury selection June 25 at the Bowie County courthouse in New Boston, Texas.

Wright is accused of allowing Benearl Lewis to be alone with the couple's children despite a care plan with Child Protective Services prohibiting D'Money's father from having unsupervised contact or spending the night at the rent house where Wright and the children were living in Wake Village, Texas, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Wright allegedly lied to investigators after D'Money's death, telling police that D'Money fell from a chest freezer. Autopsy findings discussed at Benearl Lewis' trial indicate D'Money suffered multiple injuries that damaged his brain and several internal organs.

D'Money died of severe blunt force trauma at a Little Rock hospital March 8, 2017.

If convicted, Wright faces five to 99 years or life in prison.

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