Plano Mother Kills Her Baby

Mr Play · Post by **Mr Play** » November 22, 2004 10:44 pm

Plano mother charged in baby's death
09:27 PM CST on Monday, November 22, 2004

An 11-month-old baby died Monday after her arms were cut off, and her mother has been charged with capital murder, Plano police said.

When authorities arrived at the home of Dena Schlosser, 35, they found the child with her arms severed. Police said the woman was waiting calmly, with blood on her clothing, when they arrived.

The baby was taken to nearby Plano Medical Center about noon, where she died, Plano police spokesman Carl Duke said.

Authorities said other family members, including two school-age children, live in the unit at the Fairway Apartments, just north of Plano Medical Center on Coit Road. None were in the apartment at the time.

Texas Child Protective Services had investigated the mother shortly after the girl's birth in January.

A CPS investigator was called to the woman’s home on Jan. 15 after she was seen running down the street from her apartment, her older 5-year-old girl bicycling after her.

When police and CPS arrived, the older child told them her mother had left her 6-day-old baby sister in the family’s apartment, alone.

The mother, who was despondent, appeared to be suffering from postpartum depression, said Marissa Gonzales, CPS spokeswoman.

“Mom started walking and running from the apartment,” Ms. Gonzales said. “Someone called law enforcement and she was obviously having some sort of psychotic episode.”

The woman was taken to a Collin County medical center where she was hospitalized for a few days. Her other two children - both girls - were released to their father, who told authorities she had been acting strangely since the birth of the third child on Jan. 9.

Once the woman was released from the hospital in January, she agreed to seek counseling and see a psychiatrist, Ms. Gonzales said.

The woman kept all of her appointments and at one time, was prescribed with a psychotropic drug to treat the depression. CPS caseworkers continued to visit the family through the spring and summer.

“She was doing well,” Ms. Gonzales said.

The case was closed Aug. 9.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 4c838.html

Mr Play · Post by **Mr Play** » November 22, 2004 10:55 pm

WTF is wrong with these people?

This happened about a half hour from where I live.

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » November 22, 2004 10:56 pm

That woman should fry.. TGFTJ..

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » November 22, 2004 11:05 pm

This is so sad.

I just had to go check on my own babies!

PPD is a SERIOUS condition that is not always taken very seriously and not always understood. I know I'll probably take a lashing for saying this, but most new moms have irrational fantasies about harming their babies. For some moms, it's very extreme. For others, it's a fleeting thought. What is very important, though, is understanding that this is a mental illness. It can usually be treated successfully with medication, however, there is a lot of pressure (a lot of times from husbands), to not take medication to manage the problem.

This crime is heinous, yes and I do think there should be consequences for this person. Coming from Texas, she'll likely be given the death penalty.

There was a somewhat similar case in Colorado several years ago where a mother killed her two very young children; one infant-one toddler. She was sentenced to quite a time in a mental-health facility and was later released.

ph4ever · Post by **ph4ever** » November 22, 2004 11:17 pm

Four Play wrote:WTF is wrong with these people?

This happened about a half hour from where I live.

Crap I live closer than you

I'm near 635 & 75 on the edge or Richardson. And wasn't it in Plano where that mother drowned her 2 daughters earlier this year or late last year?? I wonder if this has anything to do with the heroin epidimic that hit Plano in the early 90's? I know PPD is serious as Mal mentioned but I'm just curious if there is maybe a connection. For years Plano has had some kind of black cloud hanging over it. So sad - so very very sad.

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » November 22, 2004 11:19 pm

ph4ever wrote:
Four Play wrote:WTF is wrong with these people?

This happened about a half hour from where I live.

Crap I live closer than you I'm near 635 & 75 on the edge or Richardson. And wasn't it in Plano where that mother drowned her 2 daughters earlier this year or late last year?? I wonder if this has anything to do with the heroin epidimic that hit Plano in the early 90's? I know PPD is serious as Mal mentioned but I'm just curious if there is maybe a connection. For years Plano has had some kind of black cloud hanging over it. So sad - so very very sad.

Was there ANOTHER lady that drown her kids in Texas. I know there was that Andrea Yates lady who did her 4 kids in

Scary business.

Mr Play · Post by **Mr Play** » November 22, 2004 11:24 pm

CPS monitored this case for 8 months. They closed the case in August, and 3 months later the baby is dead. How does that happen, yet you have to be careful about spanking your kids in public?

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » November 22, 2004 11:35 pm

Four Play wrote:CPS monitored this case for 8 months. They closed the case in August, and 3 months later the baby is dead. How does that happen, yet you have to be careful about spanking your kids in public?

FP...I wish I had greater consolation for you.

Unfortunately PPD is nasty, nasty stuff. And unlike a standard spanking which usually draws nothing more scorning eyes (LOL, like mine), is a deadly illness. It is quite possible that with her medication, this lady appeared completely capable. I don't want to justify what she did because I think she should be punished to the fullest extent that the law will allow (whether that means jail or phychiatric treatment). I'm certainly no expert, but I do know that sometimes those that are mentally ill feel so "well" that they stop taking their medication and relapse.

Ultimately, though, there is no excuse for something like this to happen.

ragtopW · Post by **ragtopW** » November 22, 2004 11:41 pm

To me the real issue isn't if this lady had/had PPD but
will other sick demented, uncaring people use this as an excuse???
look at the recent history.. OH I ate too many Twinkees.
I wrote a letter to Jodi foster. My mom did things to me

what is sad is the "fakes" take our compasion from the 'reals"
because we are just sick up and fed with the whole excuse thing.

Mr Play · Post by **Mr Play** » November 23, 2004 12:26 am

Unbelievable.

Local news just played some of the 911 call where the mother called to report it. She remained completely calm as she told them; "I cut her arms off"

Operator - "Is she concious?"
Mother - "No."
Operator - "Is she breathing?"
Mother - "No."

Cousin Baxter · Post by **Cousin Baxter** » November 23, 2004 1:30 am

What the hell is going on these days? Did this kind of stuff happen 30-40 years ago. I mean this kind of CRAZY things are happening here on a daily basis. I know nowadays the media can cover every incident all over the globe but it just seems like things get worse by the day.

ph4ever · Post by **ph4ever** » November 23, 2004 8:45 am

Four Play wrote:CPS monitored this case for 8 months. They closed the case in August, and 3 months later the baby is dead. How does that happen, yet you have to be careful about spanking your kids in public?

Just goes to show that the past news reports concerning CPS and the fact it is understaffed and needs a complete overhall were obviously correct!!!

And yes Mal there was another mother that drowned her children - 2 girls.

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » November 23, 2004 10:43 am

ragtopW wrote:To me the real issue isn't if this lady had/had PPD but
will other sick demented, uncaring people use this as an excuse???
look at the recent history.. OH I ate too many Twinkees.
I wrote a letter to Jodi foster. My mom did things to me

what is sad is the "fakes" take our compasion from the 'reals"
because we are just sick up and fed with the whole excuse thing.

I hate to disagree with you Wayne but PPD is a very, very real thing and it is very scary. It doesn't excuse the behavior, but it's not just some weird made up thing. When it's severe and not monitored closely, things like this happen. But it's not to say that it shouldn't go unpunished.

I can't think of a single mom I know that didn't have irrational thoughts about harming their own baby--even if it is just for a moment and you know that you would never act on it.

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » November 23, 2004 10:43 am

ph4ever wrote:And yes Mal there was another mother that drowned her children - 2 girls.

semitruths · Post by **semitruths** » November 23, 2004 11:26 am

buffettbride wrote:
ragtopW wrote:To me the real issue isn't if this lady had/had PPD but
will other sick demented, uncaring people use this as an excuse???
look at the recent history.. OH I ate too many Twinkees.
I wrote a letter to Jodi foster. My mom did things to me

what is sad is the "fakes" take our compasion from the 'reals"
because we are just sick up and fed with the whole excuse thing.
I hate to disagree with you Wayne but PPD is a very, very real thing and it is very scary. It doesn't excuse the behavior, but it's not just some weird made up thing. When it's severe and not monitored closely, things like this happen. But it's not to say that it shouldn't go unpunished.

I can't think of a single mom I know that didn't have irrational thoughts about harming their own baby--even if it is just for a moment and you know that you would never act on it.

I read Wayne a little different on this ........ not questioning the PPD but questioning others ....

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » November 23, 2004 11:28 am

semitruths wrote:
buffettbride wrote:
ragtopW wrote:To me the real issue isn't if this lady had/had PPD but
will other sick demented, uncaring people use this as an excuse???
look at the recent history.. OH I ate too many Twinkees.
I wrote a letter to Jodi foster. My mom did things to me

what is sad is the "fakes" take our compasion from the 'reals"
because we are just sick up and fed with the whole excuse thing.
I hate to disagree with you Wayne but PPD is a very, very real thing and it is very scary. It doesn't excuse the behavior, but it's not just some weird made up thing. When it's severe and not monitored closely, things like this happen. But it's not to say that it shouldn't go unpunished.

I can't think of a single mom I know that didn't have irrational thoughts about harming their own baby--even if it is just for a moment and you know that you would never act on it.

I read Wayne a little different on this ........ not questioning the PPD but questioning others ....

I see now. Thanks ya. Maybe I can find another way to pick a fight with Wayne then.

Mr Play · Post by **Mr Play** » November 23, 2004 11:35 am

buffettbride wrote:I can't think of a single mom I know that didn't have irrational thoughts about harming their own baby--even if it is just for a moment and you know that you would never act on it.

Can you be more specific for me? Harm in what way? This lady cut her baby's arms off.

buffettbride · Post by **buffettbride** » November 23, 2004 11:39 am

Four Play wrote:
buffettbride wrote:I can't think of a single mom I know that didn't have irrational thoughts about harming their own baby--even if it is just for a moment and you know that you would never act on it.
Can you be more specific for me? Harm in what way? This lady cut her baby's arms off.

The one you hear about a lot is wanting to throw the baby out the window. That's the one that I've always heard about from the docs I've seen.

I don't know why this lady would have done what she did other than she is totally whacko. It doesn't excuse it. I was just trying to point out that PPD can be so severe that something like this would happen.

CUparrot · Post by **CUparrot** » November 23, 2004 11:46 am

Four Play wrote:
buffettbride wrote:I can't think of a single mom I know that didn't have irrational thoughts about harming their own baby--even if it is just for a moment and you know that you would never act on it.
Can you be more specific for me? Harm in what way? This lady cut her baby's arms off.

I think what Mal means is that a lot of women have irrational thoughts following childbirth, but that they vary in severity, and MOST people don't act on them. For instance, I had a friend who confessed to me that following the birth of her son, she suffered some PPD.....she was convinced he hated her and she had thoughts of taking him out in the woods and leaving him there. But she didn't do it, and she spoke to her doc about it, and she's fine now. Her son is now 2 and both are doing fine.

I hope this is not something I have to deal with when my baby is born, but you never know....

kimbug · Post by **kimbug** » November 23, 2004 11:46 am

There is a woman in the news here in Seattle recently that basically
starved her 2 babies to death. Mom didn't look like she was missing
any meals tho... When the cops came in, the apartment
was littered with empty beer cans, and the mom was passed our on
the couch. 3 days later, CPS declared that everything was fine... Yes,
3 days after the babies had been found dead...