An Evergreen mother denied on Thursday morning that she should be held responsible for the murder of her 2-year-old son in February 2015.

Takara Juntunen, 23, pleaded not guilty to felony negligent homicide and criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

“The trial will be in mid-December,” Flathead District Judge Heidi Ulbricht said.

Ulbricht set a scheduling conference for June 21. Ulbricht said setting the trial in a later term would result in a trial delay of more than 200 days. By law, a defendant has a right to be tried within 200 days unless he or she requests a continuance.

Juntunen’s case is being handled by Public Defender Steven Scott of Helena and Deputy Flathead County Attorney Andrew Clegg.

Juntunen’s boyfriend Brandon Newberry, 23, was sentenced to 40 years in Montana State Prison earlier this year for killing Juntunen’s son, Forrest Groshelle. Forrest was found not breathing in an Evergreen home on Feb. 18, 2015, after Newberry called 911 to report the child was unresponsive. Newberry was heard in the background of the call screaming, “It’s my fault. It’s my fault.”

A medical examiner determined the child had died of a blunt force blow to the abdomen.

Prosecutor Andrew Clegg claims in court documents that Juntunen contributed to Forrest’s death “by placing the child in the physical care of Brandon Newberry, who she knew, or should have known, was causing injury to the child, knowing Newberry was using methamphetamine on a daily basis and failing to remove the child from the situation and failing to seek medical care for the child.”

Juntunen allegedly admitted to investigators that the child had been ill in the days leading up to his death. She also allegedly admitted to using methamphetamine daily prior to the murder.

Bail in the case remains set at $100,000. Juntunen is being held in the Flathead County Detention Center.

Reporter Megan Strickland can be reached at 758-4459 or mstrickland@dailyinteralke.com.