Inside a Suffolk Circuit courtroom Thursday morning, Kimberly Artis pleaded not guilty to charges she murdered her two-year-old granddaughter, Destiny Mae Riddick, last summer. Police also blame the girl's grandfather, Steven Bullock, for the heartbreaking death.
Authorities say the tragedy unfolded last year inside a home in the 1100 block of Truman Road. Artis and Bullock's statements to detectives suggest the girl may have thought she was eating candy from a dish in Artis' and Bullock's room, but authorities say it was suboxone, a drug used to treat opiate addiction.
Court documents say when the family realized Destiny may have eaten one or two of the pills, they gave her some milk and a peanut butter sandwich. Documents say they then took her to a local emergency room where doctors observed her for three hours before discharging her. The next day, the family found the girl dead in the home.
Documents show Artis and Bullock admitted to using the drug in the past without a prescription, but they told detectives the suboxone in the home was not theirs and belonged to a friend.
Artis and Bullock have denied NewsChannel 3's requests for interviews. Artis' trial has been set for November. Bullock's trial date will be set on August 20, 2012.
