Some Say Child's Death was not Only Abuse He Suffered

Relatives, acquaintances and Justin Reese's school principal sayKeturah Reese often reacted angrily to her third-grade son. Some familyand friends even report seeing evidence of physical abuse, includingbruises and welts.

There are reports that the boy's school stopped calling the mother infor conferences when they had trouble with Justin, because they feared theway she treated him at those times.

Authorities haved now charged Keturah Reese with first degree murder.The Harnett County mother faced a judge Thursday and he sent her to thecounty jail without bond.

Investigators say the mother drove her son to a cotton field andstrangled him in the car. They have not mentioned a motive, but have saidthey think the act was premeditated.

Harnett County Sheriff Larry Knott says they have determined quite abit about how it happened, if not why.

Investigators matched tire tracks at the murder scene with those on themother's car.