Former New Kensington mother to testify against boyfriend charged with killing young son

Rich Cholodofsky, Tribune-Review, Greensburg, Pa.
Updated ·2 min read

Apr. 10—A former New Kensington woman charged in connection with the death of her 2-year-old son will testify against the man prosecutors said beat the child to death in 2020, her lawyer said.

Teresa Fetterman, 26, now of Lower Burrell, appeared in court Monday as she awaits trial on charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, child endangerment and other offenses in connection with the death of 2-year-old Mikel Fetterman.

Teresa Fetterman was asleep in the New Kensington home she shared with boyfriend Keith Lilly Jr. when the child was fatally beaten, prosecutors said.

"Her testimony will be to support the prosecution, to cooperate," assistant public defender Michael Garofalo said. "The idea is she is going to testify in the Lilly case, but there is no deal in place (for her cooperation)."

Fetterman was arrested and charged about two months after her son died in April 2020. She was released from jail in October after she posted $50,000 bail, according to court records.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Scott Mears postponed Fetterman's trial until the fall.

Meanwhile, Lilly, 34, of New Kensington is awaiting trial on charges including first-degree murder and is expected to appear before Mears on May 12 for a hearing on a defense request to have the criminal homicide charge dismissed. Lilly's defense lawyers claim the child sustained fatal injuries while in the care of other family members and have described the death as accidental.

Authorities responding to a call from Fetterman and Lilly's home for a child in cardiac arrest found Lilly attempting to resuscitate the unresponsive toddler as Fetterman stood nearby and cried, according to court records. Lilly claimed the boy fell off a couch, according to police.

The child died about two weeks later at a Pittsburgh hospital.

In another case, Fetterman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of animal neglect based on allegations she failed to get help for her injured 8-month-old mixed-breed puppy. Police said that, while investigating the child's death, they found evidence that Lilly had used a blunt object to injure the dog, which resulted in its leg having to be amputated. The dog survived and was adopted by a new owner.

Lilly also faces animal cruelty and neglect charges related to the injured dog.

Rich Cholodofsky is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Rich by email at rcholodofsky@triblive.com or via Twitter .