Mom gets three years for poisoning son

6/8/2007

A Maumee mother convicted of slowly poisoning her son with an over-the-counter drug that induces vomiting will spend three years in prison, a Lucas County Common Pleas Court judge ordered this morning.

Carrie Weaver, 28, was convicted May 4 of felony child endangering and faced up to eight years in prison. Judge James Jensen said that he took into consideration Weaver s lack of a criminal record but that he was concerned that she did not accept responsibility for her actions.

"Perhaps this sentence will show that it is important to get help," he said. He added that he hoped she takes advantage of the programs offered in prison and that she use it as a time to reflect "whether or not you really have a problem and to acknowledge that."

Weaver was convicted by a jury after a week-long trial that focused predominantly on medical testimony. Prosecutors said that Weaver was administering Ipecac to her son in an effort to keep him ill.

Although assistant county prosecutors Lori Olender and Rob Miller focused more on the young boy s medical condition, they offered the jurors Munchausen syndrome by proxy as Weaver s motive.

"I hope she does the whole three years because I don t think she ll ever admit what she did," Ms. Olender said.

Defense attorneys countered that Weaver was simply a diligent mother caring for her sick child. Attorney Lorin Zaner said during the trial and since that the symptoms Weaver s son displayed were more consistent with toxic mold poisoning.

"I know the judge expects her to admit she did something but I don t know how someone admits to doing something she didn t do," he said after the hearing.

Weaver, whose tearful family gathered in the hall outside the courtroom this morning, was led away in handcuffs.

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