By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

EDGARD – A Reserve woman facing charges of accessory to first-degree murder and cruelty to a juvenile in the death of her 8-year-old son pleaded not guilty in court proceedings Wednesday.

Tonya Victor, 33, stood before state district Judge Madeline Jasmine and proclaimed her innocence in the case involving the unexplained death of her son, M.L. Lloyd III. The coroner’s office continues to investigate what exactly killed Lloyd, but an autopsy report performed in May determined the cause of death as asphyxiation due to neck compression. Victor was indicted on the charges April 15.

According to investigators with the St. John Sheriff’s Office, Lloyd was unresponsive when Victor, her husband Errol, 42, and stepson, Errol Jr., 24, brought him to the emergency room at River Parishes Hospital. He was pronounced dead by medical personnel.

The three were arrested later that afternoon, based on physical evidence of abuse found all over the child’s body by emergency room staff, as well as statements made by Errol Victor Sr. that he would “take responsibility for what happened.”

Errol Sr. was indicted in April on first-degree murder charges. He was released from jail earlier this month after posting bond, set at $2 million. Errol Jr. was also indicted on charges of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. He was released on $250,000 bond. Both men have entered “not-guilty” pleas in response to the charges.

Jasmine’s office said Tonya Victor is scheduled to appear in court for another hearing next month but said no new trial date has been set for the Victor men. Her office said the state has not determined whether it will go forward with a capital murder trial, citing the autopsy reports on Lloyd, as well as his death certificate, were inconsistent in listing cause of death.