Mother of 11-year-old who died in court on new charges

BRADENTON (FOX 13) - It was a new day and a new charge for Keishanna Thomas. "You are here on a charge of abuse to a dead body," said the judge.

It was her 6th court appearance in 7 days.

"Bond has been set at 100,000 dollars," said the judge.

Live five times before, Keishanna Thomas said nothing.

"Bond should remain the same. Set the bond and bond shall remain the same," the judge said.

The latest charge, abuse of a dead body, is described in an arrest warrant.The document states Keishanna moved a freezer containing a child's body on October 15th.

Police said the freezer was moved from her apartment to a relative's home. The arrest warrant said the freezer was locked and she told relatives to plug it in.

"It was something that was off," said Maria Barger.

Maria Barger lives across the street and saw the freezer being delivered.

"They didn't understand why it was being brought over," she said.

According to the arrest warrant, relatives asked Keishanna why it was locked and she told them, "She didn't want anyone to steal her meat and she also didn't want her meat to go bad."

With her daughter now reported missing, relatives grew suspicious and three days later pried the lock off the freezer.

Inside, they found a child's body and called 911.

The report said when deputies arrived they found the body frozen with ice crystals and contorted to fit within a small cardboard box.

Also inside the freezer, two boxes of baking soda.

Barger said the family has the same questions as everyone else.

"They don't understand how this could happen. they don't understand how they could be brought into it," she said.

Keishanna Thomas is the only one who can answer those questions.

She will be back in court Monday afternoon for the 7th time.

The medical examiner is still working to identify the body and determine a cause of death.