HAMPTON - Helen Garland, 75, charged with beating her 85-year-old sister to death, has been scheduled to go to trial in April.

Garland was indicted by a Rockingham County grand jury earlier this month on a second-degree murder charge in connection with the death of Alice Keyho.

A tentative trial date of April 4 was set after a hearing at Rockingham County Superior Court in Brentwood on Wednesday.

Garland, who has already been arraigned on six other charges of first-degree assault, waived her right to another arraignment.

She remains free on $10,000 bail.

According to a spokesperson from the attorney general's office, pretrial hearings in the case were scheduled for Feb. 19 and March 15.

However, those dates could change.

According to police, Garland admitted to beating her sister, kicking her, and dragging her across the floor in their 10 Philbrook Terrace home on May 24, 2003.

An autopsy report showed the Keyho suffered bruises on her face and chest, two black eyes, bleeding between her brain and skull and 22 broken ribs.

In an interview with The Hampton Union earlier this month, Garland said she never laid a finger on her sister. She also said that her alleged confession was made out of frustration after police officers wouldn't take no for an answer.