Funeral arrangements have been set for 9-year-old Savannah Hardin. Her step-mother and grandmother have been charged with her murder.
Savannah's funeral will be at Morgan Funeral Chapel in Attalla. The service will most likely be private.
Authorities say Savannah died after being punished by her grandmother, Joyce Garrard and her step mother, Jessica Hardin.
Etowah County Sheriff's investigators say the girl got some chocolate on the school bus she wasn't supposed to have Friday. Garrard found out about the chocolate and ordered Savannah to run around the house.
Investigators say the girl ran around the house on Carlisle Acres for three hours before she collapsed. Jessica Hardin called 911 when Savannah collapsed and told the operator that the child suffered from a seizure.
Savannah was taken to a Birmingham hospital and put on a ventilator. Her father, who was working overseas, flew home as soon as he found out that his daughter was in the hospital. Savannah died Monday after being taken off the ventilator.
Authorities opened an investigation into the case after a concerned neighbor called police and told them that she saw Savannah running around the yard for several hours before she was taken to the hospital. They ordered an autopsy and it was determined that the girl died from severe dehydration and low sodium as a result of running for hours without any water.
Jessica Hardin and Garrard were arrested and charged with murder. Their bond has been set at $500,000. Authorities say charges could be upgraded.
Jessica Hardin and her husband's 3-year-old son is in the father's custody. Jessica Hardin gave birth to a baby at a Gadsden hospital on the day she was arrested. A custody hearing for the new baby will be Thursday.
Court records show that Savannah's parents were in the middle of custody battle. Her biological parents, Heather and Robert Hardin, divorced in 2006.
A judge awarded Robert full custody, but since he's working overseas, that left his mother and new wife to care for Savannah. Last year he filed for divorce against Savannah's stepmother.
Savannah was a third grade student at Carlisle Elementary School.
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Savannah Hardin's yearbook photo. She was a 3rd grader at Carlisle Elementary School.
Jessica Hardin and Joyce Garrard are charged with killing 9-year-old Savannah Hardin.
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