Man on trial in toddler's beating death

A Harnett County man is on trial for the beating death of a 2-year-old girl two years ago.

Miracle McLean was unconscious on July 2, 2007, when her mother's live-in boyfriend took her to the Anderson Creek Fire Department station. She was pronounced dead at Womack Army Medical Center.

The mother's boyfriend, 24-year-old Antonio Byrd, is charged with first-degree murder in the toddler's death. Investigators said Byrd claimed the girl drowned at the family's Spring Lake home.

The girl died of blunt force trauma and noted she had received blows to the head and abdomen, according to an autopsy report. The report also said an earlier injury to her shoulder had healed by the time of her death.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.