HAMILTON — A 27-year-old Woodlawn man won't face a possible death sentence, but could get life in prison if convicted of killing a 3-year-old Middletown girl. But the charge against the girl's mother has been increased.

Centers

Miles

        Kevin Charles Miles appeared Wednesday in Butler County Common Pleas Court on charges of murder and child-endangering; his girlfriend, Tiana Centers, 20, faces a charge of permitting child abuse. The charges, in an indictment issued Tuesday, stem from the New Year's Day death of Ms. Centers' daughter, Courtney.

        She died of internal bleeding after Mr. Miles punched her while her mother went to a convenience store, authorities said.

        Both pleaded not guilty before Judge Michael J. Sage, and are being held in the Butler County Jail. Their cases have been assigned to Judge H.J. Bressler, who has not set bond hearings. A lower court set Ms. Centers' bond at $1 million and ordered Mr. Miles held without bond.

        Last week in Middletown Municipal Court, Mr. Miles had faced a charge of aggravated murder, which could carry a death sentence. But the grand jury declined to indict him on that charge. The murder charge he now faces carries a 15-years-to-life sentence if he is found guilty.

        Asked to comment on the reduced charge, Middletown Police Detective Janice Brown replied: “I believe in the system, and if the grand jury thinks it should be murder, then that is what he will be tried on.”

Courtney

        The child-endangering charge, which specifies he caused serious physical harm to Courtney, is a second-degree felony with a maximum sentence of eight years.

        Mr. Miles' attorney, Jim Cooper, declined to comment Wednesday.

        Meanwhile, the grand jury indicted Ms. Centers on a more serious charge than the one she originally faced. She is accused of a first-degree felony, permitting child abuse, punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The earlier charge was a third-degree felony with a possible 5-year sentence.

        Her lawyer, Scott Blauvelt, said he thinks his client would be exonerated at trial.

        “They charged her because she's a single mom and somebody killed her child,” he said. “What happened to her child was totally unpredictable. She never permitted anybody to abuse her children.”

        Assistant Prosecutor Craig Hedric, however, said, “There is evidence that she was aware of prior beatings of this child by Kevin Miles. That's why she's charged with permitting child abuse.”

        Mr. Blauvelt said he would argue for a reduction in Ms. Centers' bond, adding: “She's grieving the death of her daughter and she's doing it alone, in a jail cell.”

        Ms. Centers remained jailed Saturday during her daughter's funeral, Mr. Blauvelt said.

        She used her jail-issue denim jacket to shield her face from news cameras while awaiting her court appearance Wednesday, and burst into tears afterward.

        Family members who attended Wednesday's court appearance declined to comment, but have previously said they were troubled to learn that Ms. Centers is pregnant with her third child.

        Her surviving child, Emily, 18 months, has been placed with a great-grandmother.

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