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Mother Of Murdered Nine-Year-Old Defends Herself After Buying Car

(CBS) -- The mother of murdered nine-year-old Tyshawn Lee is being bashed on the Internet for using money intended for his funeral expenses to buy a car, but she is defending the purchase.

A total of 727 people had donated to the GoFundMe site "Help Me Lay My Baby to Rest" as of 4 p.m. Saturday, contributing $17,492. The fund's creator writes specifically on the GoFundMe page that the donations were to be used to lay Tyshawn to rest. But Karla Lee said in several profanity-laced Instagram posts that were posted Saturday, before she took the page private, that yes, she used it for a car and that her son mostly likely would approve.

"They already took my son," she said in an enraged voice. "I walk to work. I get on the bus. I'm not trying to be a target for nobody."

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There is mixed reaction on social media to her comments and actions. Some of those commenting agree with her. Others say the money either should be returned or donated to charity. Karla Lee denies that she used money from the fund for the car.

There is a separate GoFundMe account set up, entitled "Save Our Children" which Lee does not control, to raise reward money.

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