A Roxbury woman is being held without bail after pleading not guilty Wednesday to allegations that she beat her 3-year-old stepson to death, an attack that authorities said left young Kenai Whyte bruised, bloodied, and suffering from a broken neck.
Prosecutors laid out the allegations against 23-year-old Maria Buie, who is accused of second degree murder in the Jan. 31 incident that led to Kenai’s death two days later.
The boy, whose mother has said he couldn’t wait to be a “big boy” and loved to do everything by himself, had appeared in good health when he got to the Alpine Street home Buie shared with the boy’s father.
Assistant District Attorney Craig Iannini said in Suffolk Superior Court that Buie was “the sole person to have care, custody, and control of Kenai Whyte at the time he received his injuries.”
Prosecutors gave no indication about their theory of what led to the attack, but detailed gruesome injuries that included a fractured vertebra in his neck, retinal bleeding, and bruising around his ears and head. He also had a cut and scratches.
According to court documents, he died from blunt impact and acceleration and deceleration of the head and neck.
Family members of the boy sat tearfully as Buie appeared Wednesday before a clerk magistrate and quietly entered her plea.
In a brief interview outside of the courthouse, Kenai’s maternal grandmother, Love Young, said she supported prosecutors’ decision to pursue murder charges against Buie, who had previously been charged in Roxbury Municipal Court with assault and battery on the child.
Buie was indicted on the more serious charges late last month.
“I feel very upset and I’m glad they upgraded the case,” she said. Young added that Kenai’s mother, Ashley Young, “just wants justice for her son.”
The boy’s father was in court to support Buie on Wednesday, according to her defense attorney, Sam Zaganjori. He said she denies the allegations against her and is “heartbroken” by the loss of a boy she considered her own son.
“She’s grieving. Her son is dead. She’s separated from her newborn daughter. She’s separated from her husband. She’s separated from her friends and family,” he said outside of the courtroom.
If convicted of second degree murder, Buie would serve at least 15 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole under state law.
John R. Ellement and Evan Allen of the Globe staff contributed to this article. Andy Rosen can be reached at andrew.rosen@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @andyrosen.