Mom faces 13 felonies after daughter dies, 2 found malnourished

KENNETT, Mo. -- A Stoddard County judge ordered a Malden, Missouri, woman to stand trial Friday on more than a dozen felony counts stemming from the 2014 death of her adopted daughter and the alleged neglect of two other adopted daughters.

Tina Diann Burton, 46, originally was charged with second-degree murder and child abuse.

On April 20, the same day as her preliminary hearing before Associate Circuit Judge Joe Satterfield, the state filed an amended complaint, charging Burton with 13 felonies, including second-degree murder or first-degree involuntary manslaughter; second-degree domestic assault or second-degree domestic assault; first-degree endangering the welfare of a child; child abuse; and child neglect.

The allegations in the first seven counts involved Burton's eldest daughter, who died May 1, 2014, at a St. Louis hospital, where the 5-year-old was a patient for about two days.

During Burton's preliminary hearing, Satterfield heard testimony from four witnesses: Malden Police Sgt. Russell Miller; Missouri Children's Division investigator Erica McDonald; Dr. Juliette Scantleberry, assistant medical examiner from the St. Louis City Medical Examiner's Office; and Dr. Adrienne Atzemis, child abuse pediatrician and medical director of the Child Protection Program at St. Louis Children's Hospital.

At the conclusion of the testimony, Satterfield took the case under advisement and gave the state and Burton's attorney, Patricia Tucka, until May 22 to provide written arguments.

Satterfield said he found probable cause to bind Burton over to stand trial on all 13 felony counts.

Satterfield ordered Burton to appear at 10:30 a.m. June 10 before Presiding Circuit Judge Robert Mayer for arraignment.

Burton's daughter died of a "closed head injury due to head trauma, resulting in a severe brain injury, with right parietal hemorrhage in the brain, a subgaleal hematoma and cerebal edema (excessive fluid)," Satterfield said.