CARLYLE, Ill., Sept. 16 (UPI) -- A woman facing murder charges over the death of her 3-year-old son has given birth to a new child in Clinton County, Ill., authorities say.
Clinton County Sheriff Mike Kreke said Valerie Schoolfield, 27, gave birth to a newborn child without complications last week and has since been returned to a jail in Carlyle, Ill., where she awaits her upcoming trial, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said Wednesday.
The gender and name of the infant were not reported.
Authorities allege Schoolfield's son, Joseph Matthew Schoolfield, was beaten to death on Jan. 25, prompting the arrest of his mother and her boyfriend, Scott Endicott, 23, in early February.
The Post-Dispatch said the couple will face separate trials on first-degree murder charges with prosecutors seeking the death penalty against Endicott, but not Schoolfield.
An Illinois Department of Children and Family Services spokeswoman said Schoolfield's newborn is in the custody of a relative following last Friday's birth.
