A Clinton Township mother has entered a no contest plea in a case involving the tragic death of her 5-year-old son. Derricka Fleming, 25, faced involuntary manslaughter charges after her son was found deceased in a park, having wandered from his home and succumbed to the bitter cold in January 2023. As reported by FOX 2 Detroit, Fleming was originally set to go to trial but chose to plead no contest on Monday.

Officials recounted that after putting her son to bed on the evening of January 22, 2023, Fleming left her apartment to spend time with her upstairs neighbor at Saravilla Apartments. Her child, later identified as Lamar Mitchell, wandered out of the apartment during the night. He was found in the early hours of January 23 in a nearby park, as detailed by clickondetroit. Authorities later declared the boy dead at a Metro Detroit hospital. The charge Fleming faces, can carry up to a 15-year prison sentence.

The evening's cold was brutal, with temperatures dipping to 27 degrees, even lower when accounting for the wind chill. Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido expressed the profound loss, saying, "Today’s no-contest plea brings some measure of closure, but it can never fill the void left by the loss of a precious life. Our hearts ache for the innocent child whose potential was tragically cut short," as reported by clickondetroit.

According to details from Macomb Daily, Fleming had left her son alone in the apartment multiple times prior to the incident. Security footage from the apartment complex has shown young Lamar leaving the apartment on his own before, once staying outside for several minutes before his mother noticed and brought him back inside. Fleming, who has been out on bail after posting a $25,000 bond, shared custody of Lamar with his father, Larry Mitchell, who gave a heart-wrenching testimony.

Fleming's sentencing is scheduled for June 12 at the Macomb County Circuit Court. The no contest plea, while not an admission of guilt, means she does not dispute the charges against her, allowing the court to move forward to the sentencing phase without a trial.