An Alabama woman who allegedly forced her 9-year-old granddaughter to run for three hours straight stood trial on Monday after being charged with capital murder of the child.

Joyce Hardin Garrard is charged with capital murder for the death of her granddaughter, Savannah Hardin, on February 2012 whom she allegedly punished for eating chocolates and for lying about it.

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Garrard first faced court on Monday after a judge from the Etowah County Court decided against dismissing the case and ruled to have the suspect detained without bond while her case is being heard.

According to reports, the 9-year-old victim allegedly died three days after collapsing and experiencing seizures due to running for three hours as a punishment given to her by her grandmother.

She was taken to a Birmingham hospital for medical treatment but died three days later due to dehydration and having very low sodium in her body - conditions commonly experienced by marathon runners.

Defense lawyers argued that Hardin died because she was suffering from an unspecified illness prior to the incident that led to regular visits to the doctor, adding that the punishment given to her by the defendant was not really the cause of her death.

However, prosecutors have also accused the grandmother of lying to medical workers while her granddaughter was being treated for dehydration.

The defendant's lawyers were quick to move for statements their client made to the workers to be barred from being heard in court but were immediately denied.

Prosecutors plan to use the testimonies to indict the 49-year-old woman of capital murder.

Meanwhile, the child's stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, was also charged for her death for witnessing the punishment and not intervening, which may have ultimately saved the victim's life.

Her father, Robert Hardin, had been reportedly traveling a lot and was not present during the time the child was punished. However, this did not stop the child's biological mother from blaming him for her daughter's demise.

Capital punishment has been removed from possible sentences Garrard may face.

TagsAlabama, grandmother, run, Marathon, child, Dead, dehydration, grandmother kills granddaughter, capital murder