By C1 Staff
BIRMINGHAM — The woman convicted of murder in the running death of her 9-year-old granddaughter was sentenced Monday to life in prison.
Yahoo! News reports that Joyce Garrard was convicted in March of the 2012 death of Savannah Hardin, with the jury recommending she spend the rest of her life in prison.
Garrard made Hardin run for almost three hours while carrying wood as punishment for lying about eating chocolates.
The girl eventually collapsed and went into seizures.
Hardin’s stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, has also been charged with murder since she witnessed the punishment and failed to intervene, according to authorities.
Garrard’s attorney said her client plans to appeal her conviction.