Infant death suspect appearing in court in September

Published 10:00 am Wednesday, July 30, 2014

By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

COLUMBIANA – A 22-year-old Maylene woman who has been charged with the death of her infant son in a fiery car crash is scheduled to appear at the Shelby County Courthouse for a hearing in September, according to court documents.

Wilford

Wilford

Circuit Court Judge Dan Reeves granted a continuance on Sommer Nicole Wilford’s reckless murder case on July 30 after Wilford’s attorney, Kenneth Moore, said he had a conflict with Wilford’s previously scheduled Aug. 4 court date.

On July 24, Moore filed a motion requesting Reeves reschedule the Aug. 4 court date to allow him to attend a hearing for another one of his clients at the same time.

Wilford is now scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 8 at 8:30 a.m.

The Alabaster Police Department arrested Wilford and charged her with one count of reckless murder on Feb. 28 after responding to a report of a one-vehicle accident near the intersection of Alabama 119 and Kent Dairy Road.

According to Alabaster Police, when officers arrived on the scene, they found Wilford “standing outside the vehicle that was engulfed in flames.” After Alabaster firefighters extinguished the fire, they discovered the body of 19-month-old Jayden Allen inside the vehicle.

Wilford was released from the Shelby County Jail on March 20 after multiple individuals put their properties up as collateral on her $300,000 bond.

In April, Reeves ordered Wilford to take random drug and alcohol screenings at the Shelby County Work Release Facility while she is out on bond awaiting trial. The fees for the drug and alcohol screenings have been waived.

In his motion requesting random drug and alcohol tests be added as a condition of Wilford’s bond, Bradley wrote Wilford “is alleged to have been under the influence of both drugs and alcohol, well in excess of the legal limit, at the time of the death of Jayden Brodie Allen and that this level of intoxication directly contributed to and/or caused the death of” the infant.

Reckless murder is a Class A felony. If convicted, Wilford could face between 10 years and life in prison.