Mother accused of murder makes initial court appearance

Authorities charged the mother of a missing Dubuque girl with first-degree murder on Wednesday. Prosecutors believe Tamelia Harris killed her daughter, 20-month-old Cecilia, and then burned the body in a fire pit behind her house. Harris made her initial court appearance this morning in Dubuque.

In July, investigators found human bones in Harris' backyard. They suspected they were the remains of the girl who had been missing since June. DNA results show the bones police found in the backyard of the house are those of Cecilia Harris.

Harris did not speak during this morning's appearance. Dubuque County prosecutors asked the judge to prohibit contact between Harris and her children, who would testify at the murder trial, they had been communicating through letters. The judge banned contact between Harris and the children until a later hearing.

Harris had been charged with negligence after allegedly giving investigators false information about the whereabouts of her daughter. That charge was dropped.

Harris faces a maximum sentence of life in prison with no parole. She is being held in Dubuque County Jail on a $750,000 cash only bond.