NEW YORK (AP) - Prosecutors say the boyfriend of the mother of a 6-year-old Harlem boy found dead last fall has been charged with murder.
Forty-two-year-old Rysheim Smith pleaded not guilty to murder charges Tuesday after being indicted by a grand jury. He was also charged with manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child. Efforts to contact Smith’s lawyer were unsuccessful.
Prosecutors say little Zymere Perkins died after suffering months of abuse at the hands of his mother and Smith. The boy’s death was ruled a homicide.
The mother, Geraldine Perkins, has also pleaded not guilty to manslaughter charges.
Three Administration for Children’s Services officials have been fired in the case.
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