Mother pleads not guilty in slaying

A Columbia woman pleaded not guilty Monday to charges stemming from the suffocation of her six-month-old daughter last December.

A grand jury indictment charges that Nicole M. West, 23, suffocated her baby by placing her facedown on a pillow and then covering her entire body, including her head, with a blanket. She is charged with second-degree involuntary manslaughter and first-degree child endangerment.

According to the probable cause statement, West made a call to 911 on Dec. 26, 2005, because her 6-month-old daughter had become unresponsive. The baby was taken to the hospital where, after attempts to revive her, she was pronounced dead.

In a statement submitted to Associate Judge Chris Kelly of the 13th Circuit, West said that she put her baby down to sleep after feeding her a bottle of milk mixed with cereal. She then went into another room to watch a movie. When she checked on her daughter, West said her baby had vomited some of the milk and turned blue, according to the statement. West then tried to perform CPR herself and called 911, according to the statement.

West’s trial date has not been set.