Spears Jury Verdict: Guilty of Depraved Murder in the Second Degree.

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WPCNR WHITE PLAINS LAW JOURNAL. From the Office of the District Attorney. March 2, 2015:

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Lacey Spears (DOB 10/16/87) of 247 Travis Road, Scottsville, Kentucky was convicted after a jury trial to the count in the indictment charging her with:

  • one count of Depraved Murder in the Second Degree, a class “A” Felony,

relating to the death of her 5 year old son, Garnett-Paul Spears, who was declared dead at Westchester Medical Center on January 23, 2014.

“Throughout his five years, Garnett Spears was forced to suffer through repeated hospitalizations, unneeded surgical procedures and ultimately poisoning with salt, all at the hands of the one person who should have been his ultimate protector: his mother. Using the child’s “illnesses” to self aggrandize herself, her actions directly lead to her son’s tortured death. We will continue to ensure that his mother is held accountable and that justice for Garnett Spears will be served in his memory,” said District Attorney Janet DiFiore.

On January 19th 2014, Garnett Spears was transferred to WMC from NyackHospital in RocklandCounty by Medivac helicopter when without any medical explanation his sodium level rose from 144 to 182 meq/L, – milliequivalents per liter – an extremely dangerous level of sodium.

The normal range of serum sodium in the blood is 135-145 meq/L.

The child’s diagnosis was acute hypernatremia.

The defendant provided the medical staff with a medical history for her son, including extensive medical visits, hospitalizations and invasive surgical procedures.  This history coupled with an unexplained rise in his sodium levels at NyackHospital prompted the doctors at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the WMC to suspect Lacey Spears of harming her son prompting their call to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services.

Based on the CPS call and referral to law enforcement, an investigation immediately commenced.

Investigators focused on the child’s recent history and actions of the defendant:

  • Friday, January 17th, 2014, the defendant brought the victim to NyackHospital reporting seizure activity and he is admitted to rule out seizures.
  • Sunday January 19th 2014 at 10:08 p.m. the victim is airlifted to WestchesterMedicalCenter and admitted.
  • Tuesday January 21st 2014, at 7:15 a.m. the code bell goes off. Medical staff respond. The child is on his back, unresponsive, and barely breathing, both pupils were blown, he was pale gray in color.

At 11:57 a.m. the head of the Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit calls in a Child Protective Services report to the State Central Register.

At 12:00 p.m. an EEG showed electro cerebral silence.

  • Thursday, January 23, 2014, Garnett Spears is declared deceased.

Search warrants were executed on the Spears’ residence. During the case evidence relating to the child’s condition was recovered including feeding bags containing extraordinary amounts of sodium.

On June 17th, 2014 the defendant has an indictment against her unsealed charging her with the murder.

Sentencing will be on April 8th, 2015.

The defendant faces a maximum sentence of twenty five years to life in prison.

Second Deputy District Attorney Patricia Murphy, Chief of the Superior Court Trial Division, Assistant District Attorney Doreen Lloyd, Chief of the Child Abuse Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Christine Hatfield, Deputy Chief of the Child Abuse Bureau are prosecuting the case.

 

 

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