Jamestown   (KVLY) 25-year-old Justice Lange pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and to child neglect charges, both felonies, Wednesday morning  in Stutsman County Court, before Judge Jay Schmitz in a case surrounding the death of her baby boy.  She remains in custody at the Stutsman County Correctional Center.

The body of 4-month-old Tyr was found in early July in rural Stutsman County. Justice had been missing for four days and told police she couldn’t remember the last time she had her son.

KVLY reports,  during the probable cause hearing,  Wednesday, Stutsman County State’s Attorney Fritz  Fremgen called Stutsman County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Falk to the stand. Falk was the lead detective on the case. He indicated Lange had last been seen on June 28 in Woodworth.

He said Lange told authorities she had taken meth earlier in the day before leaving Jamestown with the baby. He said she stopped in Woodworth because she was having car troubles. After leaving Woodworth, she was observed by farmers entering their property, but they didn’t see her leave and didn’t see the vehicle she was driving again.

On July 2, Lange was reported missing by her boyfriend. On July 6, Lange was found walking on a road in rural Stutsman County by a passing vehicle, according to Falk. She was taken to her grandparents home in Carrington, and then to the hospital. Falk said Lange told him she had injuries to her chest. Authorities began searching for the child, and with Lange’s help, were able to locate the slough where she said she had been staying with the baby. The child’s body was found on July 7.

Fremgen requested Lange be charged as a habitual offender, which would double the maximum sentence for each charge. The manslaughter charge would then carry a maximum sentence of 20 years, and the child neglect would carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.

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