Man charged in beating death of three-year-old asks for new attorney

CATSKILL―The man charged in the beating death of a three-year-old girl in Cairo has now asked the court to appoint him a new attorney.

Facing a top count of murder, Lameik Wilson appeared in Greene County Court on Tuesday and initially requested to represent himself pro se.

Wilson’s current attorney, Marie Beckford, is through the Greene County Public Defender’s Office and told Judge David M. Costanzo that Wilson’s legal counsel has been proper and no court deadlines have been missed.

But Wilson told Costanzo that there has been a “breakdown in communication.”

“I haven’t seen multiple motions that have been submitted on my behalf,” Wilson claimed.

Constanzo advised Wilson that there is a significant difference between requesting to represent oneself and asking for the court to appoint a new defense attorney.

“You have an absolute right to have an attorney represent you at all times,” he told Wilson.

Constanzo cleared the courtroom for about 20 minutes to conference privately with Wilson and Beckford, resulting in Wilson then making an application for a new court-appointed attorney.

Constanzo said he would reserve his decision at this time.

Wilson, 24, is charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, reckless assault of a child, second-degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child in the death of Fay Mohamed.

Mohamed passed away on February 25 at Albany Medical Center after being taken off life support a day earlier. She had been hospitalized in critical condition ever since January 28 when, in the words of Greene County District Attorney Joseph Stanzione, she was “beaten and abused beyond comprehension.”

The attack happened at Wilson’s apartment at 579 Main Street in Cairo where Mohamed and her mother, Farhiya Gaal, had been residing. Wilson and Gaal, both originally from Rochester, had reportedly been in a relationship but he was not Mohamed’s biological father.

Gaal, 26, is also charged with second-degree murder, second-degree manslaughter, first-degree perjury and endangering the welfare of a child.

Authorities have remained tight-lipped about details of the charges against Wilson and Gaal who are both remanded to jail without bail.

During a previous court appearance, Gaal’s court-appointed defense attorney, John Hillman of Kinderhook, said that his client’s alleged involvement in her daughter’s death was not violent.

“She is essentially charged with willful neglect,” Hillman said.

Wilson was arrested by the Greene County Sheriff’s Office the day after Mohamed was beaten and airlifted to Albany Medical Center. Gaal, who was initially cooperating with authorities, was arrested a week after her daughter died when police said they found inconsistencies in her story.

On March 25, Wilson had an additional felony assault charge filed against him after getting into a fight with another inmate at the Greene County Jail.

If convicted of Mohamed’s murder, Wilson and Gaal could be sentenced to up to life in prison.