28-year-old mother, who killed her 2-year-old daughter just because she damaged her lenses before her boyfriend put her in a “makeshift grave deep in the woods,” rejects plea deal
Louisiana – In a horrific case that has haunted Louisiana for more than four years, a 28-year-old mother, identified as L. Cardwell, accused of murdering her 2-year-old daughter and helping cover up the death, has refused a plea deal that would have spared her a possible life sentence. Now, with her co-defendant already sentenced to life behind bars, she heads to trial alone, facing the full weight of second-degree murder charges.
Cardwell stands charged with second-degree murder in the 2021 death of her daughter, Nevaeh. Prosecutors had offered her a plea deal for a significantly reduced charge—cruelty to juveniles—which would have carried a sentence of 10 years or less. Cardwell rejected the offer, choosing instead to fight the charge in court. If convicted, she faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. Her decision follows the recent conviction of her 34-year-old boyfriend, identified as P. Gardner, who was found guilty of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice. Gardner is now serving a life sentence. The case against Cardwell is built on a brutal sequence of events that began on the morning of September 4, 2021, in the couple’s home.
According to arrest records and court documents, Nevaeh had been playing that morning when she damaged one of Cardwell’s contact lenses. That minor accident allegedly sent Cardwell into a rage. She reportedly struck the child in the torso with a closed fist, hard enough to send her crashing into a bathroom cabinet. Gardner, who would later testify about the incident, told authorities he heard what sounded like “two adults fighting” from another room. When Nevaeh reappeared, she had a large bruise on her forehead. The damage, however, went far deeper than what was visible.
While Cardwell went to work later that day, Gardner stayed home with the child. He told police that Nevaeh soon began complaining of stomach pain and refused to eat. Rather than seeking help, Gardner said he fell asleep. When he awoke, the toddler was unresponsive. Instead of calling emergency services, Gardner took a drastically different path. He admitted to placing Nevaeh’s body into a small suitcase, leaving his phone behind, and driving to Mississippi with other children in the car. Deep in the woods, he dug a shallow grave, covered her body, and discarded her clothing in a separate garbage bin before returning home. There, he filed a false missing person report.
As investigators launched a search, one of Nevaeh’s siblings told officers she was “in the forest”—a heartbreaking detail that didn’t make sense until days later. On September 26, 2021, searchers found the toddler’s body in a wooded area, over the state line in Mississippi. The autopsy findings were damning. Nevaeh had “several bruises on the face and head, swelling to the brain and marks on her face ‘consistent with that of a handprint.’” Her thighs and buttocks were covered in bruises. Injuries on her abdominal wall were described as consistent with being punched. Most disturbingly, the medical examiner said it could not be ruled out that the girl was still alive when she was placed in the suitcase and may have suffocated before succumbing to her other injuries.
Cardwell’s trial is now set to begin on February 2. The state intends to present Gardner’s previous testimony and other forensic evidence to build its case. Meanwhile, Cardwell’s public reaction on the day of the incident continues to draw scrutiny. During a television interview, she said, “I don’t know what could have happened; I don’t know what went wrong. I wish I would have stayed home from work.” She recounted her last memory of Nevaeh: “Naveah, the little girl, my little boy, and her daddy brought me to work, and that’s the last time I seen my baby.” District Attorney H. Moore, reflecting on Gardner’s conviction, said, “Nothing can bring back this child who was murdered, but justice is done when those responsible for Nevaeh’s death are held accountable.” That pursuit of justice is not over yet. For Cardwell, the consequences—if convicted—will be irreversible.
