The Sanford mom accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter who could face the death penalty was back in court Friday morning.

Rachel Fryer is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her daughter Tariji Gordon.   

At Friday’s hearing, attorneys on both sides said they can’t move forward with the case until they talk to Timothy Gordon, Tariji Gordon’s father. 

Attorneys say he may have been there when the toddler died and they need to talk to him but say Gordon has not responded back after they’ve tried to reach him several times.

They asked Judge Debra Nelson for help in reaching him.

According to a police interview with Gordon right after her death, he said he saw Fryer push the child onto the floor in February 2014, with Tariji hitting a step. Gordon reported Fryer seemed to be frustrated with potty training Tariji.

About an hour later, a case manager from Community Based Care visited the family. The case manager said he saw Tariji sleeping and she opened her eyes. He told police she did not appear to have any injuries.

Fryer reportedly told police she later found the child unresponsive and tried to revive her for 30 minutes. She then put her in a suitcase, hitched a ride with a friend and buried her in a shallow grave in Crescent City.

Fryer’s public defenders brought up a tribute video to the victim Tariji Gordon.  The now mother of several of Fryer’s children made the video for Tariji’s siblings to remember her but defense attorneys don’t want jurors to see it at trial.

“I’m afraid it’s going to play on the emotional strings of the jurors.  Because obviously we have small child that was harmed, and dead at this point, and the jurors are not supposed to consider the victim impact of it.  And I think it’s going to be prejudicial to Rachel and inflame the jurors,” said Seminole County Chief Public Defender Jeff Dowdy

The judge denied the motion, but said the defense could still object when and if that tribute video is played. 

Attorneys nailed down several other items with the judge that may come up during the trial.

An exact trial date has not been set but will likely happen sometime in September.