BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA — A Louisiana mother accused of beating her 2-year-old daughter to death because the child touched her contact lenses has rejected a plea deal and will face trial early next year, as prosecutors reveal horrifying new details — including the discovery of the girl’s body in a “makeshift grave deep in the woods.”
28-year-old Lanaya Brittany Cardwell was charged with second-degree murder in the death of her daughter, Nevaeh Allen, after allegedly striking her so violently that the toddler fell and hit her head on a bathroom cabinet. Her boyfriend, 34-year-old Phillip Gardner, later admitted to disposing of the body in a forested area across state lines in Mississippi, according to court records.
A Deadly Outburst Over Contact Lenses
According to arrest warrants obtained by The Advocate, the tragedy began on the morning of September 4, 2021, at the couple’s Baton Rouge home on La Belle Avenue.
While Cardwell was getting ready for work, little Nevaeh reportedly picked up her mother’s contact lenses, accidentally damaging one. Enraged, Cardwell allegedly punched the toddler in the torso with a closed fist, causing her to fall and slam her head on a nearby cabinet…