Mom gets three years for poisoning son

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Article published Friday, June 8, 2007

Mom gets three years for poisoning son

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Weaver

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BLADE STAFF

A Maumee mother convicted of slowly poisoning her son with an

over-the-counter drug that induces vomiting will spend three years in prison, a

Lucas

County Common Pleas Court judge ordered this morning.

Weaver, 28, was convicted May 4 of felony child endangering and faced

up to eight years in prison. Judge Jensen said that he took into

consideration Weaver’s lack of a criminal record but that he was concerned

that

she did not accept responsibility for her actions.

" Perhaps this sentence will show that it is important to get help, " he said.

He added that he hoped she takes advantage of the programs offered in prison

and that she use it as a time to reflect " whether or not you really have a

problem and to acknowledge that. "

Weaver was convicted by a jury after a week-long trial that focused

predominantly on medical testimony. Prosecutors said that Weaver was

administering

Ipecac to her son in an effort to keep him ill.

Although assistant county prosecutors Lori Olender and Rob focused

more on the young boy’s medical condition, they offered the jurors Munchausen

syndrome by proxy as Weaver’s motive.

" I hope she does the whole three years because I don’t think she’ll ever

admit what she did, " Ms. Olender said.

Defense attorneys countered that Weaver was simply a diligent mother caring

for her sick child. Attorney Lorin Zaner said during the trial and since that

the symptoms Weaver’s son displayed were more consistent with toxic mold

poisoning.

" I know the judge expects her to admit she did something but I don’t know

how someone admits to doing something she didn’t do, " he said after the

hearing.

Weaver, whose tearful family gathered in the hall outside the courtroom this

morning, was led away in handcuffs.

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[Guest guest]

This is really sad. if this kid is really sick from toxic mold

exposure, her lack of money to get proper medical diagnoses may be

why shes in prison. it's really a crime but not by her. whats become

of the boy? it seems if he was ill to a certain point from

mold/myco's that even with removal from home he may still be very

ill, who was the expert witness on toxic mold exposure?

>

> Article published Friday, June 8, 2007

> Mom gets three years for poisoning son

>

>

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608029 & Ref=AR')

> Weaver

>

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>

> BLADE STAFF

>

> A Maumee mother convicted of slowly poisoning her son with an

> over-the-counter drug that induces vomiting will spend three years

in prison, a Lucas

> County Common Pleas Court judge ordered this morning.

>

> Weaver, 28, was convicted May 4 of felony child endangering

and faced

> up to eight years in prison. Judge Jensen said that he took

into

> consideration Weaver’s lack of a criminal record but that he was

concerned that

> she did not accept responsibility for her actions.

>

> " Perhaps this sentence will show that it is important to get

help, " he said.

> He added that he hoped she takes advantage of the programs offered

in prison

> and that she use it as a time to reflect " whether or not you

really have a

> problem and to acknowledge that. "

>

> Weaver was convicted by a jury after a week-long trial that

focused

> predominantly on medical testimony. Prosecutors said that Weaver

was administering

> Ipecac to her son in an effort to keep him ill.

>

> Although assistant county prosecutors Lori Olender and Rob

focused

> more on the young boy’s medical condition, they offered the

jurors Munchausen

> syndrome by proxy as Weaver’s motive.

>

> " I hope she does the whole three years because I don’t think

she’ll ever

> admit what she did, " Ms. Olender said.

>

> Defense attorneys countered that Weaver was simply a diligent

mother caring

> for her sick child. Attorney Lorin Zaner said during the trial and

since that

> the symptoms Weaver’s son displayed were more consistent with

toxic mold

> poisoning.

>

> " I know the judge expects her to admit she did something but I

don’t know

> how someone admits to doing something she didn’t do, " he said

after the hearing.

>

> Weaver, whose tearful family gathered in the hall outside the

courtroom this

> morning, was led away in handcuffs.

>

>

>

>

> ************************************** See what's free at

http://www.aol.com.

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Quackadillian,

No. This is not the case where the school district, child protective

services and children's court was involved. That one was in LA and the charges

against the mother/teacher have been dropped. However, she will continue on

the

child abuse registry which stops her from working within her profession of

25 years - a school teacher.

This case was a criminal case in Ohio. As I understand it, the mother and

child were living within a moldy environment. As I understand it, tests

results showed high levels of toxigenic molds. The child was sick and the

mother

was taking the child from doctor to doctor looking for help. As I understand

it, the child was even hospitalized a few times. The doctor, who was the

primary witness for the defense, claiming that tests showed Ipecac in the

child's system admitted he knew nothing of mold toxin illnesses. As I

understand

it, they were never able to establish that the mother ever bought any mass

amount of Ipecac anywhere, nor that she had given this to her child. The

child, who has been living with his father for two years while the mother has

not

even been permitted visitation, is doing better physically. He testified

that he remembered his mother giving him something to drink called " coke

syrup " .

Dr. Croft testified for the mother stating that the symptoms were more

similar to mold exposure than Ipecac.

I don't know the whole story of what went on in this case, but I do know her

attorney whole heartedly believed in her innocence all the way. I certainly

cannot say one way or the other, but in my mind, nothing appears to have

been proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Regardless of what really occurred, it

is a tragic situation for all concerned.

Sharon

Sharon,

What's your cut on what was going on? I remember that there was some

situation where a mother had

complained about a moldy school (?) home or ??? and a county child health

protective service went on a

vendetta against her- is this THAT woman and her child?

Are they trying to say that her boy's nausea was caused by her poisoning

him?

(I am sure things like that do happen sometime, muchausen by proxy, etc,

but I think that in any given situation, the likelihood of mold illness is

MUCH MUCH higher, barring some

serious evidence of a mother's psychological instability AND physical

evidence, and testimony of a victim that she was

that type of parent.. one who would do something like that.. which I would

think is very rare..)

OTOH, its not inconceivable that some administrative types - seeing the very

worst in society day in and day out may get so cynical that many normal, but

distressed people probably seem like crazy people to them after a while,

just because of their own overwork/stress, burnout at their jobs, etc.

Sometimes its SO hard to tell what is really going on from the media... so

very hard...

On 6/11/07, who <_jeaninem660@jeaninem66jea_

(mailto:jeaninem660@...) > wrote:

>

> This is really sad. if this kid is really sick from toxic mold

> exposure, her lack of money to get proper medical diagnoses may be

> why shes in prison. it's really a crime but not by her. whats become

> of the boy? it seems if he was ill to a certain point from

> mold/myco's that even with removal from home he may still be very

> ill, who was the expert witness on toxic mold exposure?

>

************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

[Guest guest]

Sharon,

What's your cut on what was going on? I remember that there was some

situation where a mother had

complained about a moldy school (?) home or ??? and a county child health

protective service went on a

vendetta against her- is this THAT woman and her child?

Are they trying to say that her boy's nausea was caused by her poisoning

him?

(I am sure things like that do happen sometime, muchausen by proxy, etc,

but I think that in any given situation, the likelihood of mold illness is

MUCH MUCH higher, barring some

serious evidence of a mother's psychological instability AND physical

evidence, and testimony of a victim that she was

that type of parent.. one who would do something like that.. which I would

think is very rare..)

OTOH, its not inconceivable that some administrative types - seeing the very

worst in society day in and day out may get so cynical that many normal, but

distressed people probably seem like crazy people to them after a while,

just because of their own overwork/stress, burnout at their jobs, etc.

Sometimes its SO hard to tell what is really going on from the media... so

very hard...

On 6/11/07, who <jeaninem660@...> wrote:

>

> This is really sad. if this kid is really sick from toxic mold

> exposure, her lack of money to get proper medical diagnoses may be

> why shes in prison. it's really a crime but not by her. whats become

> of the boy? it seems if he was ill to a certain point from

> mold/myco's that even with removal from home he may still be very

> ill, who was the expert witness on toxic mold exposure?

>

>

>

> >

> > Article published Friday, June 8, 2007

> > Mom gets three years for poisoning son

> >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

sounds like someone trusted someone they shouldn't have.

> >

> > This is really sad. if this kid is really sick from toxic mold

> > exposure, her lack of money to get proper medical diagnoses may

be

> > why shes in prison. it's really a crime but not by her. whats

become

> > of the boy? it seems if he was ill to a certain point from

> > mold/myco's that even with removal from home he may still be very

> > ill, who was the expert witness on toxic mold exposure?

> >

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> ************************************** See what's free at

http://www.aol.com.

>

>

>