Bond increased for woman charged with killing daughter

GASTONIA, N.C. — The judge increased the bond for a Gastonia woman charged with killing her 1-month-old daughter in March.

Police said it took several months to get results from the medical examiner's office before they decided to charge Shana Davidson with felony child abuse.

Davidson cried as she made her first appearance by video Thursday afternoon.

Her mother and brother also cried as they told the judge Davidson loved her baby, but she made a tragic mistake.

Police said Davidson fell asleep with her baby next to her. She woke and found the child dead, smothered under her weight.

The prosecutor argued Davidson had been drinking heavily and using drugs that day. He said she has a history of disobeying the law.

"She has got two DUIs pending right now and a driving while license revoked so she is a danger to herself and to the public,” said Assistant District Attorney Robert Forbes.

"She suffered enough. She would never, never harm her child," said her mother, Robin Davidson.

Her brother told Eyewitness News that Shana Davidson is devastated because this is the second child she lost. He said she also had a premature baby who died almost immediately because of underdeveloped lungs.

WSOC