Handy and her 69-year-old grandmother were arguing over pictures hanging in the girl's bedroom when the teen snapped, shoved Taylor onto a bed, then "got on top of the victim and pinned her arms down against the bed by holding her wrists," according to charging documents. Handy's younger brother pulled her off their grandmother, and Taylor called 911, but the older woman lost consciousness on her porch before officers arrived. Taylor later was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Three weeks later, a state medical examiner ruled the death a homicide: "The victim had suffered a fatal heart attack as a result of the assault," charging documents state. And four days after that, shortly after her 17th birthday, Handy turned herself in. She has been in a women's detention facility ever since.
On Wednesday, she wore a sunny yellow blouse to court and a hard expression. Her hands were cuffed in front of her slim body. About half a dozen family members showed up to support her, but there was little for them to hear. Most of the action took place out of earshot at the bench, though it was difficult to tell who was speaking on the recording; the attorneys' backs were to the camera.
