Clinton Township woman pleads no contest after son found frozen to death in park

A Clinton Township woman pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter in connection with the death of her young son last year, the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office said Monday.

Derricka Fleming, 25, pleaded no contest to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of her 5-year-old son in January 2023, the Prosecutor's Office said in a news release. The charge is a felony that carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.

Prosecutors accused Fleming of putting her son to bed in their apartment on Jan. 22, 2023, and leaving to visit a neighbor. Lamar Tyrone Mitchell is believed to have gotten out of bed early the next day and to have left the apartment. He was found frozen to death in a nearby park, the Prosecutor's Office said. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital. 

"Today's no contest plea brings some measure of closure, but it can never fill the void left by the loss of a precious life," said Prosecutor Peter Lucido. "Our hearts ache for the innocent child whose potential was tragically cut short."

Fleming's sentencing is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. June 12 before Macomb County Circuit Judge Kathryn Viviano.