Mother of Missing Toddler expected in Court Tuesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO) — Zinah Jennings, mother of missing Midlands toddler Amir Jennings,is set to return to court Tuesday, after giving birth to second child. Judge Knox McMahon announced in court Friday that Jennings gave birth to the child around 3:00 a.m. Friday. The baby is reportedly a girl. Jennings is on trial for the charge of Unlawful Conduct Toward a Child in connection with the disappearance of her now 2 year old son, Amir Jennings. Friday, would’ve marked the fifth day of testimony in the case. Already 36 witnesses for the prosecution have taken the stand, some of the testimony potentially damaging to Jennings’ defense. Christian Dickerson, a childhood friend of Zinah’s testified that Zinah once told her she thought of throwing Amir out of a car window and continuing on the highway. Dickerson also stated that Zinah once told her she thought about selling him or giving him away. Amir Jennings disappeared around Thanksgiving of 2011. The last reported sighting of the child, to date, is on bank surveillance video in Columbia on November 29, 2011. Thursday Zinah’s sister, Denise Jennings, took the stand to say that she noticed a change in Zinah’s role as a mother in the fall of 2011. “Not deliberate neglect, but just she wasn’t there. I did most of the care for him. She showed him a lot of love, but just seemed almost incapable of changing a diaper,” says Denise Jennings. Judge Knox McMahon ordered the trial into recess Friday morning until Tuesday, due to Jennings giving birth. Also on Friday, Zinah Jennings’ defense attorney, Hemphill Pride, stated that he will move for a mistrial when his client returns next week. Pride did not say why he would do so, but that he will give his reason when his client returns. Court will resume Tuesday morning.