In Clinton Township, Derricka Fleming, 26, has been sentenced to probation following a no contest plea in an involuntary manslaughter case involving the death of her 5-year-old son, Lamar Mitchell. As reported by Hoodline, a Macomb County Circuit Court judge handed down the sentence on June 12th, marking the conclusion of a harrowing incident that occurred in January 2023.
Fleming's son was found deceased in a nearby park after he left their Saravilla Apartments unit and succumbed to cold that, as described by ClickOnDetroit, was brutal and uncompromising. She admitted putting Lamar to bed at 10 p.m. on January 22, wearing only an undershirt and underwear, before she left him alone in their apartment. The boy later wandered outside into freezing temperatures, which compounded by the wind chill, dropped to around 27 degrees.
During the sentencing, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido communicated his disagreement with the decision to forego incarceration. "While we respect the court's decision, our office firmly believed that confinement was warranted in this tragic case. We requested incarceration to underscore the severity of the crime and to seek justice for the loss of this young life. However, the court has chosen to impose probation instead," Lucido said in a statement obtained by CBS Detroit.
Prior to the devastating incident, security footage from the apartment complex showed that Lamar had been left alone and had exited the apartment on his own before, once remaining outside for several minutes before his mother noticed and retrieved him, as detailed by ClickOnDetroit. Fleming, who posted a $25,000 bond and has been out on bail, shared custody of Lamar with his father, Larry Mitchell. In a heart-wrenching testimony, Mitchell conveyed the deep loss felt by the family.
The no contest plea means Fleming does not dispute the charges against her, yet it is not an admission of guilt. The plea allowed the court to proceed to the sentencing phase without a trial, leaving some measure of closure for those affected by the tragedy, said Lucido, as reported by Hoodline.
