Woman faces trial in infant’s death
Judge OKs testimony of similar act
2/14/2014A former Toledo woman will be permitted to testify about a 2003 incident during the aggravated murder trial of Amanda Bacon in Lucas County Common Pleas Court, a judge ruled Thursday.
Judge Frederick McDonald found that the testimony of Peggy Monroe is admissible for Ms. Bacon’s trial, in part because of the similarities in the claims each woman is making.
Ms. Bacon, 26, of 504 W. Alexis Rd. is charged with causing the death of her 6-month-old son by throwing him against a hard surface, but she plans to argue that the man with whom she was living at the time killed her son. Ms. Monroe testified at a hearing last month that the same man threw and injured her young son in 2003 when she was living with him in Toledo.
A day after the hearing, Ms. Monroe, 33, of Aurora, Colo., was indicted for perjury after prosecutors said she had told a different story to hospital personnel, children’s service investigators, and police 10 years ago.
Judge McDonald concluded that the jury in Ms. Bacon’s case “should hear and weigh” Ms. Monroe’s testimony. Jury selection is to be held Feb. 21 with a visit to the crime scene and opening statements scheduled for the morning of Feb. 24.