A North Carolina woman has been charged with killing her 2 1/2 -year-old daughter after she told a detective that she shook, kicked and repeatedly punched the adopted Russian child Nina (Viktoria Bazhenova).

A United States woman has been charged with killing her 2 1/2 —year-old adopted daughter from Russia after she told a detective that she shook, kicked and repeatedly punched the child, the Washington Post reported on Friday quoting a police source.

North Carolina resident Peggy Sue Hilt, 33, who was visiting relatives near Manassas last weekend, told police that she had become “enraged and angered” at her adopted Russian child, Nina, on July 1 while they were at their home in North Carolina, authorities said.

When the child stopped breathing the next morning at her relatives’ home, Hilt called 911 and rescue officials took her to the Prince William Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police said the cause of death was one or more blows to the child’s abdomen, and Hilt was charged Wednesday with second-degree murder.

“Obviously, we are taking this seriously,” said J. Regan Wilson, an assistant commonwealth’s attorney. “A 2-year-old baby died at the hands of her mother.”

Law enforcement officials declined to say why Hilt became infuriated with her daughter and said the investigation is ongoing.

Hilt has a court hearing Aug. 2. Police said a second-degree murder conviction carries a prison sentence of five to 40 years.

http://www.mosnews.com/news/2005/07/08/killingmother.shtml

Update (March 1, 2006): Peggy Hilt Confesses.  See all Peggy Hilt related stores.