A 26-year-old Chicago woman pleaded not guilty to murder Wednesday in the death of her infant son in Peoria.
Andrea Luncsford's arraignment was Wednesday morning in Peoria County Circuit Court.
Police say 1-month-old Grayson Luncsford was left in a U-Haul truck with the windows rolled up for several hours on a hot September day. He was pronounced dead at the scene when authorities arrived.
But Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood said the baby "immediately" died of cocaine intoxication. The boy also was suffering from heat stress, dehydration, malnutrition, and neglect, the coroner said.
Grayson's mother was reportedly acting erratically on the scene and later tested positive for cocaine use.
Andrea Luncsford was appointed a public defender on Wednesday. Her jury trial is currently set for Nov. 18. She was previously denied pretrial release and is being held in the Peoria County Jail.
