About four years ago, Lanaya Cardwell was indicted for second-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter Nevaeh Allen. At that time, authorities believed Cardwell’s attack on her daughter led to the toddler’s death.
But now state prosecutors are convinced it was actually Cardwell’s live-in boyfriend who struck the fatal blows that killed Nevaeh. The state reduced Cardwell’s murder indictment to a charge of second-degree cruelty to a juvenile this week.
During a Tuesday afternoon hearing inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse, Cardwell pleaded not guilty to the amended charge, court records show. District Judge Fred Crifasi set a Jan. 27 hearing and set Cardwell’s trial to begin Feb. 2…