Skowhegan - An 11-year-old girl from Fairfield charged with killing a 3-month-old baby in July made her first court appearance Monday morning.

"She's been charged with manslaughter which would he a Class A offense if committed by an adult. In other words, she's charged with recklessly or with criminal negligence caused the death of the victim in this case," said Deputy Attorney General Andrew Benson, who is prosecuting the case.

With her head down, the young girl entered a plea of "no answer" to the charge of manslaughter. She's charged with killing 3-month-old Brooklyn Foss-Greenaway.

The baby was left in the care of the girl's mother, 30-year-old Amanda Huard, at her Fairfield home when police say she was killed.

Neither Benson nor state police will release the official cause of death.

The baby's mother, Nicole Greenaway, says she was told by police her infant daughter was given an overdose of medication and smothered.

"If she's found guilty, she could spend the next 10 years in a youth correctional facility. By law she would be released when she turns 21. Now there is also another alternative the court didn't speak of which is the possibility of a bind over," Benson said. "At this point it's far too premature to discuss whether she'd be an appropriate candidate for a bind over."

A bind over means trying the 11-year-old as an adult.

There's been some question as to whether the 11-year-old's mother will be charged.

Neither Benson nor state police would comment on that.

Benson did tell us the girl is not in her mother's custody. She's been in DHHS custody for the past few months.

At the request of defense attorney John Martin, the girl will undergo a competency evaluation. If she's found not to be competent to stand trial after the evaluation, there will be a hearing in connection with her competence. At that hearing, the judge will make the final determination of whether she is competent to stand trial.

"If she is ultimately determined to be incompetent, then the Department of Mental Health and Welfare would have the obligation to restore her competency," Benson said.

She's scheduled to appear in court again in February.

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