prosecutors in the capital murder trial of an alabama woman charged in the death of her granddaughter compared her to a drill sergeant for forcing the 9 year old girl to run nonstop for three hours in opening statements today joyce garrard is accused of punishing 9 year old savannah hardin for lying about eating candy on the school bus by making her run while carrying sticks and firewood at the family's home in etowah county in 2012 garrard, 49, could face the death penalty or life without parole if convicted scroll down for video  accused: joyce hardin garrad, who is accused of capital murder, is pictured entering an alabama courtroom today dressed in a pale green jacket and a striped blouse, with a heart shaped pendant around her neck  victim: garrad allegedly forced her granddaughter, savannah hardin (pictured left and right), nine, to run to her death at her home in etowah county in 2012 after discovering she had lied about eating forbidden chocolates  assistant district attorney marcus reid said during opening statements in a standing room only courtroom that jurors would hear from neighbors who say they heard and saw what happened to savannah the day she died defense attorney dani bone tried to raise doubt about medical evidence in the case by showing jurors a version of the indictment, which mentioned severe dehydration and seizures however, bone said savannah died because of a fatally low sodium level he said the evidence will show the girl had too much water in her system, not that she was dehydrated bone told jurors that prosecutors ‘have oversold their case to the world’ ‘they're trying to hoodwink you with junk science,’ he said ‘make them prove their case’ according to prosecutors, neighbors said garrard yelled at the girl as she ran, forcing her to continue ‘like some kind of drill sergeant’ at one point, a neighbor saw the girl vomiting on her hands and knees, begging to stop, reid said when paramedics arrived, they found savannah on the ground, ‘freezing cold to the touch,’ her clothes and shoes soaking wet, reid said garrard never told the medics that the girl had been running; she said only that the girl collapsed in the yard the 9 year old was rushed to a birmingham hospital, where she later died from dehydration and low sodium, a condition common in marathon runners savannah wasn't supposed to eat chocolates because she was on medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and had a bladder problem, but she had eaten candy on the school bus the day before she died garrard was angry that savannah ate the candy – ‘but she was more upset about the lie,’ reid said mother and daughter: savannah (pictured with her mother in a facebook photo) eventually collapsed and started fitting she was rushed to a nearby hospital, where she later died from dehydration and low sodium  arrests: garrard (pictured, left, in her police mugshot) was charged in the fatal february 2012 incident alongside savannah's stepmother, 27 year old jessica mae hardin (right) the former's trial begins today  surveillance video from a school bus shown to a jury showed garrard talking with the bus driver, raenna holmes, about savannah taking candy without paying from another student who was selling it garrard told holmes: ‘she's going to run until i tell her to stop she's gonna learn’ the women then talk about a bladder condition the girl had and a procedure she had related to that condition the driver then asks, ‘is she ok?' garrard replies: ‘she might be when i get about four more bottles of water in her’ garrard said savannah was 'in double trouble' because she took the candy without paying and because she lied about it holmes said in court that she saw the girl picking up sticks in the yard but did not see her running ‘i feel partly responsible i should have paid for those candy bars,’ holmes said opening statements followed a jury selection process that lasted nearly three weeks the judge in the case has refused the defense's request to move the trial to a venue where it less well known this morning, garrard was seen entering a county courtroom dressed in a pale green jacket and a striped blouse, with a heart shaped pendant around her neck around 15 family members watched as the defendant was led in handcuffs to her seat at the etowah county courthouse the trial is expected to last a week scene: gerrard allegedly made her granddaughter carry sticks of wood as she ran to her death at her home (pictured) but defense lawyers are expected to argue that the third grader's death was not gerrard's fault  run to death: savannah (pictured) suffered from unspecified medical issues that resulted in frequent doctors visits, court documents state defense attorneys have said it was her medical condition that caused her death  security is tight for the start of garrad's trial etowah county deputies were pictured using a metal detector to screen anyone entering the courtroom today, while all cellphones have been banned this afternoon, prosecutors will put forward their allegations against garrard, who was charged in the fatal february 2012 incident alongside  savannah's stepmother, 27 year old jessica mae hardin, is awaiting trial on a murder charge in the girl's death authorities said she failed to intervene while the older woman forced the girl to run savannah lived with her father, who was out of town at the time of her death
2012 garrard savannah joyce hardin garrad nine year old savannah hardin 49 alabama
joyce hardin garrad, 49, accused of murdering nine year old savannah hardin  allegedly forced youngster to run to her death carrying firewood at home in alabama in 2012  savannah, who 'had lied about eating candy', collapsed and started fitting  prosecutors said a neighbor saw the girl vomiting on her hands and knees, begging to stop  defense attorney told jurors savannah died because of a fatally low sodium level  surveillance video shown in court captured garrard talking to school bus driver about savannah, saying that the girl was in 'double trouble' defendant could be sentenced to death if convicted of girl's capital murder 