GUILTY MI - Mary Welch, 10 mos, died, parents refused treatment for religious reasons, Solon, 2 Aug 2018

[Jewels53]

Both Kent County Prosecutor Chris Becker and Welch and Fusari's defense attorneys agreed to postpone the hearing by 8 weeks. The extra time will allow for each side to continue building their cases.

They will appear back in court October 10 at 9 a.m.

Case delayed in death of 10-month-old Solon Township girl

 

[MicheleT]

https://nypost.com/2018/10/10/father-charged-in-daughters-death-shes-as-dead-as-a-doorknob/

“You know, just another day,” Welch told a dispatcher when asked how he was doing after the girl’s death. “It is what it is.”
Welch and Fusari said they didn’t seek medical help because they didn’t trust doctors because they were previously reported to child welfare officials after they disagreed with a doctor’s recommendation for their 4-year-old daughter.

I may have missed it, but where is the 4 year old?

 

[MsMarple]

More from the October 10 hearing:

Attorney Lesley Kranenberg, representing the husband, questioned testing performed as part of the autopsy and suggested that the child suffered a metabolic disorder that kept her from absorbing nutrients.

Start said he found no metabolic diseases or parasites.

The father was visibly upset in court listening to his 911 call. He showed no sense of urgency while on the phone.

"I guess I don't know if this is the right place to report this to. ... One of my children is dead."

Dawn TenBrink, a Kent County sheriff's crime-scene investigator, said she saw food in the house but limited baby food.

The house was dirty, with mice feces in drawers and throughout the house. There were also many flies. The mattress of the victim's bed was filthy and had what appeared to be mold on it, she said.

Daughter's dead: 'Just another day. It is what it is,' dad tells 911
The mom said that she breastfed Mary and had also started feeding her solid foods. She says fed her daughter before going to work. No one, meaning the father, fed her after that.

The mother may have thought that her husband fed her while she was at work.

Wasn't that the very point the father tried to make in his earlier blathering in the jailhouse interview? That in a "typical day" he would video conference with his wife while he fed Mary dinner? Then he would take her for a walk?

Exactly the opposite of the normal routine. How telling. I'm starting to wonder if Mary's death was more than two nut jobs doing what they thought was appropriate. IOW, I wonder if the parents, or at least the dad, knew exactly what they/he were doing. Think about it, he was trying to start his own cult - wouldn't the story of Mary "being called to god" provide quite an opportunity for his video raving? And maybe sympathetic people would help out financially.

I doubt it's provable but at the same time it's not out of the question IMO. MOO.

 

[MsMarple]

https://nypost.com/2018/10/10/father-charged-in-daughters-death-shes-as-dead-as-a-doorknob/


I may have missed it, but where is the 4 year old?

From the August hearing:
Welch and Fusari have two other children together, a 2-year-old and 4-year-old; both children are currently with Welch's parents. Judge Smolenski ordered the couple to have no contact with their other children. Welch told the judge he also has an 8-year-old child.
Parents say religious reasons stopped them from seeking medical care prior to baby girl's death

 

[JerseyGirl]

Judge orders murder trial for parents in death of 'all skin and bones' daughter

 

[MsMarple]

Judge orders murder trial for parents in death of 'all skin and bones' daughter

From your link:

"They were breastfeeding the child," said defense attorney Lesley Kranenberg. "These two young people are not nutritionists. They are not dietitians."

Kranenberg said there were empty baby food jars in the house, which shows that the parents were feeding the child. She said the medical examiner jumped to conclusions on the cause of death.

Not much of a defense from their attorney; they're not nutritionists or dieticians and there were baby food jars in the house. Sheesh!

Did the attorney forget that the Welch's have other children? They had experience with children. Parents are obliged to be "nutritionists" in the sense that they are responsible for the health and safety of their kids, including making sure they receive proper nutrition.

These people owned a produce farm! Their lack of care for Mary plus the father's ridiculous statements to the 911 operator really makes me think they had an agenda. Welch called his attorney before dialing 911 - what that says is he absolutely knew they were in legal trouble. MOO.

 

[StarrChance]

So...if Welch had a “fall” in jail and broke some bones, he would refuse medical treatment and become a cripple?...
How far would he take his beliefs if it was him in pain or near death. The man is mentally ill and a liar imo.

 

[Julindy]

Mary was found dead 19.5 hours after her last meal. Dad peaked through a hole in the door to her room to check on her. He never entered so as not to wake her. He was in charge of her. Aug. 1st had a high temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit. August 2nd's high was 84. The poor child didn't have a chance. How hot was HER ROOM? It was mom who found her dead. Why would she trust him to protect her from dehydration and starvation. I wonder if he goes 19.5 hours without liquids or food?
Ughhhhhh

They should both be treated same way,her after the baby's born,then LIPNP see how long it takes them to die of starvation

 

[Julindy]

So...if Welch had a “fall” in jail and broke some bones, he would refuse medical treatment and become a cripple?...
How far would he take his beliefs if it was him in pain or near death. The man is mentally ill and a liar imo.

Let's hope someone gives him a good shove in prison then

 

[Julindy]

Mom talks. More at the link.

Mom accused of starving baby: 'I dream about her'

I hope the baby haunts her in her dreams,and hopefully gives Mom nightmares for the rest of her life

 

[Julindy]

As someone who has been trying very hard for a very long time to have a baby these cases make me shake with anger. I can't even form a coherent thought within TOS about these people. God bless little Mary, she deserved so much more.

I always think about the people out there who can't have children,whenever I read about abuse and murdered children,it makes me so furious,why can't they let their children go to people who will love and care for them..this is what I don't understand smh

 

[MsMarple]

So...if Welch had a “fall” in jail and broke some bones, he would refuse medical treatment and become a cripple?...
How far would he take his beliefs if it was him in pain or near death. The man is mentally ill and a liar imo.

I believe that yes, he'd go to a doctor. Apparently most of his "religious" views regarding doctors actually stem from two things; One, he is against vaccinations because he doesn't understand the science and the concept of herd immunity (or even what survival of the fittest means) and two, his dislike of doctors appears to have roots in he and his wife being reported to child welfare in the past by a doctor.

Upthread is an article where he talks about a doctor falsifying reports because he and Tatiana wouldn't follow his medical recommendations for another child. IMO it's his anger over being reported that kept them from taking the kids to the pediatrician and not his religious views.

As Hazelnutty said early on, (paraphrasing) God provides the medical professionals in order to keep people healthy. I'm not a believer but if I were that statement would 100% make sense. Why else would God give people the brains, motivation, technology and tools to become doctors, nurses, etc. in the first place?

IMO Welch and his wife are not very bright and can't connect the dots. They also can't "hear" the detritus that tumbles out of their mouths - IOW, they lack insight. Throw in selfishness, greed and the desire for power/control and it's a perfect storm for disaster. MOO.

 

[leyash]

These people aren't "Christian." Sorry.

 

[MsFacetious]

From your link:

Not much of a defense from their attorney; they're not nutritionists or dieticians and there were baby food jars in the house. Sheesh!

Did the attorney forget that the Welch's have other children? They had experience with children. Parents are obliged to be "nutritionists" in the sense that they are responsible for the health and safety of their kids, including making sure they receive proper nutrition.

These people owned a produce farm! Their lack of care for Mary plus the father's ridiculous statements to the 911 operator really makes me think they had an agenda. Welch called his attorney before dialing 911 - what that says is he absolutely knew they were in legal trouble. MOO.

Well, if they aren't doctors, nutritionists or dietitians... how about they CONSULT ONE.
I've had 3 kids with gain/growth issues and I'm not a professional either.
So, I consulted professionals to make sure that my kids were getting what they needed.
Not rocket science, just parenting.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Judge cites father’s ‘callous’ 911 call; orders murder trial

 

[Jewels53]

Judge cites father’s ‘callous’ 911 call; orders murder trial

What is said in that article is horrendous. What they did to little Mary I am just sick about. That they think they were feeding her is crazy. She wouldn't have been 8 lbs if they had been feeding her. jmo moo

 

[2Hope4]

“The skeletal-like posture of the child, in my opinion, speaks volumes, for how long the baby was not cared for properly,” Smolenski said.

Smolenski said she was struck by Welch’s statement to a dispatcher where he describes Mary as “dead as a door knob.” Welch also informed the dispatcher that he’d called his attorney about 90 minutes prior to calling 911 because he was unsure of what to do.

SNIPPED

Smolenski said the damage was obvious and that the girl’s death “is as horrific as it gets.”

“I want to reiterate the fact that the baby did not die because of one missed meal. This is weeks and weeks,” Smolenski said. “This isn’t about being very skinny, this is about being dead.”

Judge cites father’s ‘callous’ 911 call; orders murder trial

 

[imstilla.grandma]

“Hi, I guess I don’t know if this is the right place to report this to. I’m at home and one of my children is dead,” Seth is heard telling the dispatcher.

During the call, the dispatcher asks Welch if he is sure the baby is dead, and Welch says, “dead as a doornail.”

When the dispatcher asks how he is holding up, Welch says,”You know. It’s just another day, right? You know, it is what it is.”

Welch also reportedly admitted to the dispatcher that he called his parents for advice before calling 911. According to the report, prosecutors say Welch also texted someone about selling a goat and searched the internet about a rapper’s kidnapping before calling 911.

Jurors saw photos of the bed that Mary died in, reportedly showing that she was lying on a mattress soaked in urine that was so moldy that mold extended to the wooden rail of her crib.

Welch’s attorneys are expected to argue that Mary’s death was unintentional, and the result of poverty and Welch’s inability to properly care for the baby and two other children. Welch reportedly stayed at home with the children and worked on his hobby farm while Fusari worked at McDonald’s.
Father who found infant daughter ‘dead as a doornail’ sent text about selling a goat before he called 911: Report

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[imstilla.grandma]

"I've seen a lot of things in my career... I knew that I was going to see a dead child," said former Kent County Sheriff's detective Jason Russo, during his testimony Thursday. "That was not what I expected based on the initial interviews with the parents. It was indescribable. I can't forget it to this day."

Jurors heard recordings of interviews between Seth Welch and police. Welch can be heard telling sometimes conflicting stories about his daughter, but he maintains that she ate constantly. By the time she died, Mary Welch weighed just over a pound more than she did at birth.

Tamara Flowers, a woman who briefly stayed at Welch's Solon Township home in July of 2018, also testified Thursday. She said she wanted to call child protective services after seeing the baby's sunken in cheeks and the way she was treated by Seth Welch. She ultimately chose not to call, and a month later she saw the reports of Mary Welch's death.

"I felt like if I would've called CPS when I said I was...that baby would've still been alive and she could've had a chance," Flowers said with tears rolling down her cheeks.

A member of the victim services unit at the Kent County Sheriff's Department testified that when he arrived on scene to aid the family, Seth Welch acted completely unfazed. He said Seth Welch replied 'life goes on,' when asked how he was handling his daughter's death.
Trial continues for father accused of 'indescribable' infant death