Lena Lunsford waived her preliminary hearing Wednesday. She is accused in the death of her 3-year-old daughter.
WESTON, W.Va. — Lena Lunsford, who is accused in the death of her 3-year-old daughter five years ago, waived her preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Special Magistrate John M. Coffman of Upshur County first addressed a bond reduction request made by defense attorney Barbara Harmon-Schamberger.
Lewis County Prosecutor Christina Flanigan argued against reducing bond, noting that Lunsford was located in Florida and there is evidence she also was in Tennessee.
Harmon-Schamberger said Lunsford no longer has ties in Florida, noting that the defendant’s husband is making arrangements to move back to West Virginia and pointing out that the defendant did not fight extradition to the Mountain State.
Coffman denied the request for bond reduction, citing “the safety of the community and Ms. Lunsford.”
Bond for the 34-year-old Lunsford, who is incarcerated at the Central Regional Jail in Flatwoods, is $250,000 cash.
Wednesday’s hearing was held in Lewis County Circuit Court to accommodate all the media in attendance.
Coffman asked Lunsford if she understood what waiving her preliminary hearing meant and if she agreed to do so. Lunsford answered “yes sir” and looked straight ahead during the 10-minute hearing.
Because of the waiver, Lunsford’s defense attorney will receive an early look at the evidence the state has accumulated since the investigation began in September 2011 when Lunsford’s daughter, Aliayah Lunsford, who would now be 8 years old now, was reported missing.
Flanigan said the state would be making no comment on the case at this time.
Lunsford is alleged to have injured Aliayah with a “blunt force strike to the head with a handheld object” and then withheld medical attention from the child, as well as preventing others from summoning help.
Aliayah died within hours on Sept. 24, 2011, and Lena Lunsford then took steps to conceal the crime, the criminal complaint alleges.
“These include, but are not limited to, originating a fictitious narrative regarding the death, destroying evidence, concealing the victim’s body and instructing witnesses to conceal the true circumstances of the victim’s death,” Lewis Deputy Eli Carpenter has alleged.
Authorities have yet to recover Aliayah’s body. Lewis Sheriff Adam Gissy said the investigation is ongoing. Gissy said in a press conference two weeks ago that the only one who knows where the body is located is behind bars.
