CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Deliberations will resume on Friday morning after the state rested its case involving a Clarksville mother accused of starving her 13-year-old son to death. 

Testimony shared Thursday included Clarksville police officer Marcus Lax, who was called to check on Kadaris Maddox in June of 2022, a month before he died. Body cam footage showed Cheyenne sending her 12-year-old son outside to talk to the officer instead.

“You didn't ask to speak to Kadaris Maddox, correct?” defense attorney Chase Smith asked. 

“That'd be correct, sir,” Lax responded. 

“And when the male came outside, you didn't even ask him what his name was, is that correct?” Smith followed up with.

“Correct, sir,” Lax answered.

A detective called to the scene after Kadaris was found unresponsive recalled Cheyenne showing emotion at first but changing demeanors a few hours later. 

“She was in the front yard with her kids throwing a ball, ordering DoorDash,” Detective Meagan Gibbons said.

Thursday, Cheyenne also took the stand herself. She said her son, who was just 35 pounds when he died, was overly stimulated, which caused him to burn more calories.

“It hurts that people think that I killed my son, think that I would intentionally cause harm or do anything to him because I didn't. I loved my son,” Cheyenne said.

The defense wrapped up the trial, asking jurors if they had enough proof to show Cheyenne actually killed her son on purpose.

“It's based on evidence; it's not based on emotion. It's not based on pictures that they're going to put on there. It's based on concrete, absolute evidence that should be clean,” Smith said during his closing statement.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/clarksville/deliberation-begins-in-case-of-clarksville-teen-starved-to-death/