MA - Remains of 3 infants found, Erika Murray charged, Blackstone, Sept 2014

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Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Judge returns and says she has to take the evidence in the light most favorable to the Commonwealth “on each and every one of the charges as charged.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
This is NOT a verdict but a ruling on the defense motion to dismiss the charges against Erika Murray. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Judge is starting by examining the lesser charges against Murray, then will work her way up to the murder charges. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
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Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Judge says there is sufficient evidence to move forward with the 2 cruelty to animals charges. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Judge rules there is sufficient evidence to move forward on the 2 counts of reckless endangerment of a child (in regards to Murray’s 2 oldest children). @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Judge rules there is sufficient evidence to move forward on 2 counts of assault & battery on a child causing substantial bodily injury to the 3yo & 5 month old girls found covered in feces in Murray’s home. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Judge will now explain her decision as to the 2 second degree murder charges against Murray @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
BREAKING: Judge tosses 1 of the 2 second degree murder charges against Erika Murray. “There is no evidence presented by the Commonwealth...that that baby was ever born...you can only cause the death where the victim was alive.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
The next defense witness is forensic anthropologist Kristen Hartnett-McCann. She has assisted on shows like ”Bones” & “CSI” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Hartnett-McCann examined the remains of the infants found dead in Erika Murray’s home. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Hartnett-McCann testifies “it is not possible to determine...whether the babies were alive” - said she estimates them at 38-40 weeks fetal age @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Hartnett-McCann testifies “there is a general agreement that a live birth can have a neonatal line” but she says there’s nothing to prove that “stressors in utero” wouldn’t cause a neonatal line on the teeth of a fetus @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Hartnett-McCann is now testifying that the studies on evidence of neonatal lines in teeth proving birth is unreliable. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Defense wraps up direct questioning of Hartnett-McCann. Prosecutor begins cross examination. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
We have gotten “in the weeds” again on neonatal lines and whether they are a reliable indicator of live birth. Bottom line: the defense expert says no, the prosecution expert says yes. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Prosecutor: “are you aware of any study where a neonatal line does appear in a stillborn?” Hartnett-McCann: no Prosecutor is done with cross examination. Defense has no redirect. But the judge has some questions. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
After the judge clarifies some points, defense asks whether neonatal line studies/case evidence is common. Hartnett-McCann says it’s very rare, this is the first time she’s come across it in a case she’s consulting on. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Hartnett-McCann is excused. Defense asks to be seen at sidebar as we near the end of the time allotted for testimony today. It’s a scheduled shorter day, wrapping up at 1pm. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Defense calls its 3rd witness, Dr. Frank Cataldo, a clinical psychologist & professor of psychology at Roger Williams College. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo says most of his work involves examining the mental health of children, adolescents and adults. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
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Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo says in this case he thinks it’s important to do psychological testing “because it brings a normative perspective...and you can take the individual you’re assessing & compare them to the norm.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo said he did 2 meetings with Erika Murray - a combination of interviewing, testing and self-reporting. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo on Murray: “It did not seem she was trying to portray herself in an overly virtuous...fashion” and said her IQ score estimate placed her below 86% of adults her age. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
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Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo on Murray: “her verbal abilities are average...that’s not surprising given she likes to read...her perceptual reasoning was in the...5th percentile...she’s deficient.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo on Murray: “She has a very poor short-term memory...her processing speed was in the average range...there was a lot of discrepancy among her abilities.” Judge takes lunch break, then says we are going a full day today. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo on Murray: “She has a very impaired memory to hold things in her immediate memory...so she’s prone to becoming confused” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo: “Murray has a very low self-concept, low self-esteem...very passive...real strong fears and concern about rejection...self-esteem is the product of how other people see her.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo on Murray: “Her perception: her husband was in charge of major life decisions...putting his needs above hers...was inordinately concerned that he would reject or leave her...a pathologically dependent relationship” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo on Murray: “She had few social relationships, no friendships...blunted, bland affect, somewhat shallow.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo: “Murray has low-average global intelligence...presence of a non-verbal learning disability...her social functioning was moderately to severely impaired” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo: “I believe that Erika Murray meets the diagnostics criteria for a personality disorder - cluster C, dominated by fear and anxiety...(as well as partly) avoidant and dependent personality disorders” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo on Murray’s coping strategies: “Rather underdeveloped and immature, she engages in a lot of avoidance, rather than dealing with issues; denial of problems as a way to cope with or manage stress in her life” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo on Murray’s relationship with her boyfriend: “She was constantly operating under the fear that he would abandon her.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo is now explaining why he doesn’t believe Murray has an anti-social personality disorder @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo: Murray’s personality disorder “could make her more vulnerable in a high pressure interrogation situation.” Murray was interrogated 2x by police for more than 3 hrs & often changed her answers under police suggestion. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Direct questioning of Dr. DiCataldo is done. Prosecutor begins cross examination. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Prosecutor gets Dr. DiCataldo to admit when Murray took the psychological tests she was under arrest, had her children taken away by DCF and her boyfriend left her. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo agrees: “it’s more of a snapshot in time.” Prosecutor: could Murray’s current situation have contributed to her results on the testing, her stress, her anxiety, etc.? DiCataldo says yes. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Prosecutor: “she teared up when discussing her children” Dr. DiCataldo: yes Prosecutor: “...and her children’s father.” DiCataldo: yes @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Dr. DiCataldo admits under cross examination Murray “does not have a mental disability, which we used to call mental retardation, her functioning is higher than that.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Prosecutor asks in relation to Murray’s actions of setting up a Facebook page for a fictional parent of 2 of her children: “Is that an indication of assertive rather than passive behavior?” Dr. DiCataldo: “I could see that yeah.” @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors

Alysha Palumbo NBC10 Boston‏Verified account @AlyshaNBCBoston
Prosecutor wraps up cross examination of Dr. DiCataldo. Defense has no further questions, but the judge has a few. @NBC10Boston @NECN #Blackstone #HouseofHorrors
 
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Thank you Jewels53!!

Interesting testimony today, especially the neonatal lines on the teeth, I believe they were all born alive and she didn't kill them but did absolutely nothing to keep them alive.
 
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