IVEY, Ga. (AP) — Investigators say a 12-year-old Georgia girl may have died as an indirect result of a severe lice infestation that may have gone on for years.
The details on the death of Kaitlyn Yozviak were discussed during a preliminary hearing Monday.
A Wilkinson County judge ruled there is enough evidence for second-degree murder charges against parents Mary Katherine “Katie” Horton and Joey Yozviak to go forward to a grand jury.
Authorities say medical records show Kaitlyn died from cardiac arrest with a secondary cause being severe anemia. Hilton says repeated bites from the lice lowered the girl's blood iron levels, possibly causing anemia and triggering the cardiac attack.
