Woman Charged with Murder of 12-year-old

It's been four months since the life of a young foster girl came to a tragic end in southwest Reading. Now, police say they have the woman responsible for her murder, behind bars. Police say 12-year-old Amira Brown was beaten and left to die inside her foster home back in September.

WFMZ's Karin Mallett joins us now live from the scene of the crime with the latest.

Karin?

Amira came to live here at this home on Summit Avenue last January.

Court documents show she was taken from her biological mother at the age of three- and sent to live with her grandmother.

Eventually Amira was placed in foster care.

But it was at this foster home- where police say a friend of her foster mother severely beat Amira with the handle of a mop- squeezed her from behind and then sat on her until she was no longer breathing.

6:21

It's very tragic, she's only 12. Best I knew she had a really tough childhood.

I'm sure anybody in foster care would be tougher than the normal child.

REPORTER:

Police say this woman- 40 year old Rose Boyd-Tolver is to blame for Amira's death.

The 12-year-old was found by her foster mother lying unconscious on the bedroom floor on September 4th.

Police say a few days after Amira's death -- Boyd- Tolver, the foster mother's friend -- admitted to beating Amira with a broomstick after a fight.

5:12

She was visiting there. Apparently there was a confrontation between her and the victim and the confrontation escalated into a physical fight with a tragic result.

REPORTER:

Police say in later interviews, Boyd-Tolver told investigators that Amira grabbed the mop from her and that Boyd-Tolver said she squeezed her from behind and then sat on her to stop her from fighting.

Autospy results show Amira died from cardio respiratory collapse.

5:41

Police were to be honest we're really happy to make this arrest.

It was rather sad of course to have a 12 year old whose life was fully in front of her to have her beaten apparently like she was.

Police don't expect any morearrests in this case- and we're told the foster family will not be charged.

Coming up at 6 - we'll have more on why this was a difficult case for detectives- and why it took months to get a cause of death and make the arrest.

Live in Reading, Karin Mallett 69 News Berks Edition.