Child Killer Gets Custody of Son

The Associated Press

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) - A woman who smothered her infant daughter five years
ago has been given custody of her toddler son in a ruling that outraged
children's advocates.

Latrena D. Pixley, 23, of Washington, is to be reunited with her nearly
2-year-old son within 60 days under the ruling last week by Circuit Court
Judge Michael D. Mason.

Pixley admitted that she smothered her daughter, Nakya Dannyell Scott, with a
blanket to stop the baby from crying in 1992.

She pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was placed on probation, but
was later convicted of credit card fraud and sent to prison for violating her
probation. She served 18 months and got out in November.

While she was behind bars, she turned over care of the toddler to Laura
Blankman, a police trainee who is now seeking to adopt him.

Although adoption hearings are not open to the public, The Washington Post
reported Wednesday that sources close to the case said the judge told the
parties he felt it is usually not in the best interest of a child to be
separated from his biological mother.

``She has a real, genuine bond and love for the child, and the judge
recognized that, and he protected that,'' said Pixley's attorney, Jennifer Evans.

Child advocates said the decision was surprising and outrageous.

``How can any judge return a child to a woman who murdered ... that child's
older sister?'' said William Pierce, president of the National Council for
Adoption, a nonprofit group for adoptive parents.

 AP-NY-12-31-97 1757EST