San Francisco mother will not face death penalty in triple murder case

Bay City News Service

June 3, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - The office of San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris will not pursue the death penalty in its prosecution of a woman accused of throwing her three children to their deaths in San Francisco Bay.

Harris' office reported yesterday that Lashuan Harris, 23, of Oakland would face life in prison without parole if she were convicted of the murders.

After a preliminary hearing, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Teri Jackson ruled on May 25 that Lashuan Harris should stand trial in the killings.

"Facts were presented at the preliminary hearing that were previously unavailable to the district attorney's office due to legal privileges,'' Debbie Mesloh, a district attorney's spokeswoman, said in a statement today. "After reviewing all the information, the office decided that the appropriate punishment to seek is life in prison.''

Harris' public defender has said she is mentally ill and qualifies for an insanity defense.

Trayshaun Harris, 6, Taronta Greeley Jr., 2, and 16-month-old Joshua Greeley died on Oct. 19. Their mother is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday morning.

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