This is as horrible as it gets.
Police are charging 26-year-old Lacey Spears with depraved murder and manslaughter for allegedly poisoning her five-year-old son with high levels of sodium starting five days after his birth. Her son, Garnett-Paul Spears, suffered chronic illnesses and health problems which included ear infections, fevers, seizures and digestive problems, and Lacey would document his health on social media and her blog.
Garnett-Paul had been taken to doctors with high levels of sodium that officials say his body couldn't produce on its own. It was soon discovered that Lacey had injected sodium into her son's stomach tube while doctors were outside of the room, an overdose that would lead to his death this January.
"During the afternoon, that child goes from moderate to severe cerebral dysfunction," said prosecutor Doreen Lloyd in court. "And as that is going on, this child's sodium level is going up. It coincides with the actions of this defendant."
Lloyd also said that they searched Lacey's computer, and found evidence that she had researched what the effects of high levels of salt, which has sodium, would have on a child. Investigators said in court that as a newborn, Garnett-Paul had “high fever and ear infection with fluid in the ears and projectile vomiting and had to get heel pricks for labs in an Alabama hospital.” Sadly, it seems this kid never had a chance to live while under his mother's care.
Investigators say that Lacey used her son's health problems to get attention on social media, and that she suffers from Münchausen syndrome by proxy, an illness that is described as injuring a child to bring attention and sympathy to the parent.
[via NY Times]
