Savannah Hardin, 9, died in February 2012 after her grandmother allegedly made her run for hours until she collapsed and died three days later. The running was punishment for the child lying about eating candy. Joyce Hardin Garrard, 59, goes on trial for murder this week, accused of causing her granddaughter’s death through making her run and carry wood for about three hours.

Savannah’s stepmother, Jessica Mae Hardin, is awaiting a separate murder trial, accused of sitting by and allowing the “punishment” to continue. Garrard’s attorneys say that the girl died because of other medical problems.

Savannah fell ill on Feb. 17, 2012. Medics responded to a 911 call and found the child having seizures at the family’s mobile home. Her father was overseas at the time, working as a State Department contractor. He rushed home and made the decision to remove Savannah from life support three days after her transfer to Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham.

According to investigators, the autopsy showed that the child had extremely low sodium levels and was severely dehydrated. They compared her condition to an athlete who has run a marathon without drinking any water. The defense has challenged the autopsy findings.

If convicted of capital murder, Garrard could end up on death row. Prosecutors call her the “drill sergeant from hell.” A school bus videotape shows her saying she planned to run Savannah “’til she can’t run no more,” according to prosecutor Marcus Reid during a 2012 hearing.

Court documents show that Savannah did have a medical condition that required continuous treatment and medication, although it is not specified what that condition was. She needed monthly visits to her regular doctor and trips to a urologist every few months. Authorities say Garrard became angry when Savannah supposedly ate chocolate because it contains caffeine, which she was not allowed to have because of her condition.