The trial has begun for the mother of a Columbia toddler missing for over eight months.
Zinah Jennings is charged with unlawful conduct toward a child, as Columbia Police say they still don’t know where her son Amir is. He was 18 months old when he was last seen around Thanksgiving. The boy’s grandmother reported Zinah missing several after that, telling police that she thought her daughter and grandson were in Atlanta but that she was receiving evasive answers when she asked about the boy. Police say Jennings also gave them conflicting stories about the boy’s whereabouts. She has been in jail since December.
Amir has not been found and police continue to search for him. Jennings’s attorney Hemphill Pride says his client has not been charged with Amir’s death, but he believes she is being unfairly accused simply because she will not cooperate with authorities. Investigators say they found a blanket in the back of Jennings car with Amir’s blood on it.
Jennings is pregnant with a second child and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.
Tom Hayes contributed to this report
