Woman found guilty of throwing her sons off Cross Lake Bridge; 1 survived, other died

SHREVEPORT, La. (KSLA) - The trial of Ureka Black ended Wednesday, Sept. 13 with a guilty verdict.

She was convicted of tossing her two young children off Cross Lake Bridge back in September of 2021. The younger of the two children died.

In court Wednesday, the judge told Black she has done an “abnormal” job representing herself, but has done the best she could. Black declined to cross examine the lead detective who testified for the prosecution. She also declined to testify herself, and had no witnesses to bring to the stand.

On Wednesday, the state introduced evidence surrounding Black’s older child, Elijah. He survived being “rolled” off the bridge into the water. The state presented photos of the child in a hospital bed with injuries to the left side of his body, including a swollen eye.

Jurors watched a video clip of Elijah being interviewed at Gingerbread House that showed him telling the interviewer his mother said he “needed to go with God.”

“I don’t want to go with God ever again,” Elijah said during the interview. The state argued the child had no motive to lie.

When asked if he knows that his mother loves him, Elijah replied, “I don’t know.”

The state presented more than a dozen witnesses, one of which was Black’s sister, Felicia. After hearing her testify, the state made claims that Black had been planning the attack for 24 to 48 hours prior.

During her closing argument, Black stated the media and community have labeled her as “crazy, drug addict, killer, child killer.”

She went on to say she believes she was being targeted and that the man who spotted her child’s body in the lake was a liar. She said she loves her kids and her life will never be the same.

Black was found guilty on one count of second-degree murder for the death of 10-month-old Joshua Black and one count of attempted second-degree murder for Elijah Black.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 28.

[Child who was tossed into Cross Lake testifies during his mother’s murder trial]

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