Mother pleads not guilty to child abuse

By BOB GIBBINS

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS May 12, 2008 11:08 am

— A former Cherokee County woman pleaded not guilty this week at a district court arraignment on enabling child abuse charges.
Brandy Hurta, now of Port Lavaca, Texas, was ordered to return to court June 5 at 1:30 p.m. for a jury trial sounding docket and motions hearing. Hurta’s child, Cameron Guthrie, was allegedly suffocated by Mathew Ryan Guthrie, the child’s father. Mathew allegedly placed a couch cushion on the victim’s chest while she was lying on her back.
Hurta, 25, testified against Guthrie at his preliminary hearing on a first-degree murder charge. She was warned by Associate District Judge Mark Dobbins repeatedly about the possibility of self incrimination if she testified against Guthrie.
Defense attorney Angela Jones told Dobbins at Hurta’s preliminary hearing she didn’t like the way the case was handled by prosecutors who, she said, brought Hurta back to Cherokee County to testify against Guthrie and treated her as a victim and then used her testimony against her.
Authorities initially believed Cameron, who was 2 months old at the time, died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Guthrie later told a friend and also told investigators he and Hurta agreed to kill Cameron after deciding they didn’t want to be burdened with her.
Assistant District Attorney Greg Combs represents the state.