Bond denied for mom, ex-boyfriend in her baby's death

A Chatham County judge on Thursday declined to set bond for a woman and her ex-boyfriend, both of whom have been charged with murder in the death of the woman's toddler son last year.

Posted 4:09 p.m. Dec 20, 2018 — Updated 11:41 p.m. Dec 20, 2018

Bryan Mims

, WRAL reporter

PITTSBORO, N.C. — A Chatham County judge on Thursday declined to set bond for a woman and her ex-boyfriend, both of whom have been charged with murder in the death of the woman's toddler son last year.

Josalyn Upchurch, 28, of Moncure, and her former boyfriend, Rickey Adams, 39, were charged on Wednesday with first-degree murder and felony child abuse in the 2017 death of her son, DeAndre Cotton.

The two appeared in court Thursday for a first-appearance hearing. Neither Upchurch or Adams said anything during the first-appearance hearing, and the judge ordered that they return on Jan. 7 for another hearing.

Pittsboro police were called to the woman's apartment at 127 Broadmoore Drive on July 16, 2017 after she called paramedics to the home.

Investigators said the 14-month-old boy was cold and unresponsive when paramedics arrived. The child had bruises on his head and face along with a large cut to his liver, police said. The toddler also suffered from broken ribs, police said

According to an autopsy, the baby died of “blunt force trauma of the chest and abdomen.”

Upchurch surrendered to authorities on Wednesday and was being held at the Chatham County Detention Center.

Adams, who was already in jail in Durham on a probation violation and failure to pay child support, was charged in connection with DeAndre's death there. He is being held without bond and made an appearance in court in Chatham County on Thursday.

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