The next hearing has not been set after a canceled May 14 court date in Benzie County.
BEULAH, Mich. — A Thompsonville mother accused in an attack that left her 5-year-old daughter injured in woods behind their home remains jailed as her case waits for a court-ordered competency review.
Christina Kay Crow, 40, faces one count of assault with intent to murder and one count of first-degree child abuse. The charges were filed after Benzie County deputies found the girl during a search near a Lincoln Avenue residence on April 20. Crow’s bond was set at $1 million after her arraignment two days later.
The court file moved quickly at first. Crow was arraigned April 22 in 85th District Court, and early hearings were placed on the calendar. A probable cause conference was set for May 7, and a preliminary examination was set for May 14. Those dates would have been the first steps toward deciding whether the case should move beyond district court. Instead, the May 14 hearing was canceled, and the case was paused for a forensic competency evaluation. The Benzie County Prosecutor’s Office said the case would resume after the evaluation, but officials did not provide a timeline for the review or the next hearing.
The competency issue now stands between the charges and the next courtroom step. In Michigan felony cases, a preliminary examination can test whether prosecutors have enough evidence to bind a defendant over for further proceedings. A competency review asks a different question. It looks at whether a defendant can understand what is happening in court and help with a defense. The review does not decide whether the person committed the alleged acts. It also does not decide whether the evidence is strong enough for trial. For now, it delays the hearing schedule while Crow remains in custody.
The allegations come from a search that began when deputies were dispatched to check on Crow at her home. Authorities said the welfare check took place April 20 on Lincoln Avenue in Thompsonville. After deputies arrived, they became worried about the location and safety of Crow’s young daughter. The sheriff’s office has not explained what raised the concern. Investigators searched for about 90 minutes and found the child in a wooded area behind the residence. The sheriff’s office said the girl had serious injuries to her neck and face. “No further details are being released,” the office said after the arrest.
Medical care for the child began in northern Michigan and then moved downstate. She was transported to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, the nearest major hospital named in public reports. She was later transferred to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids for further treatment. Authorities have not released her name or current condition. They also have not said whether her injuries required surgery, how long she remained hospitalized or who has been caring for her since the incident. Officials have tied the limited information to the active investigation and the child’s age.
The bond set at arraignment is one of the largest public details in the case. Crow is being held at the Benzie County Jail on a $1 million cash or surety bond. A high bond can reflect a judge’s view of risk, the seriousness of the charges or concerns raised at arraignment. Court records made public through local reports do not include a detailed bond argument. Crow’s defense position has not been fully described in public reporting. No plea beyond the usual early-stage court entry has been detailed. The case has not reached a stage where prosecutors have publicly laid out witness testimony in court.
The sheriff’s account places deputies, the home and the wooded area in a tight timeline. They arrived for a welfare check, grew concerned about the girl, searched for about an hour and a half, found her injured behind the residence and arrested Crow at the scene. That sequence is the core public chronology. It leaves out many details investigators may know but have not released. Authorities have not said whether deputies found blood, a weapon, clothing or other physical evidence. They have not said whether neighbors saw or heard anything. They have not identified the person who requested the original welfare check.
Thompsonville sits in rural Benzie County, where law enforcement agencies cover small villages, back roads and wide wooded stretches. The case drew regional attention because of the age of the child, the severity of the alleged injuries and the attempted murder charge against a parent. Local coverage has identified the residence only by street, not by full address. The sheriff’s office has avoided releasing details that could identify the child. That approach is common in cases involving minors, especially when medical information and family records may become part of separate child protection proceedings.
The investigation remains open, and the court case is not yet near trial. The next public movement is expected after the forensic competency evaluation is completed and the findings are returned to the court. Until then, Crow remains charged, jailed and presumed innocent under the law while the child’s condition remains undisclosed.
Author note: Last updated May 18, 2026.