EvilJester99 Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Mom allegedly cut off baby's arms Faces capital murder charges Tuesday, November 23, 2004 Posted: 1431 GMT (2231 HKT) PLANO, Texas (AP) A woman with a history of postpartum depression cut the arms off her baby girl who later died, authorities said. Dena Schlosser was sitting in her living room covered with blood when police arrived Monday. Her almost 11-month-old daughter lay fatally injured in a crib in a bedroom of the family's apartment in Plano. The child was pronounced dead shortly afterward at a nearby hospital. Police have charged the 35-year-old mother with capital murder, but declined to reveal where she is being held. Schlosser, who had a history of postpartum depression, had been investigated on child neglect allegations earlier this year, but Texas Child Protective Services had recently closed a seven-month investigation, concluding that Schlosser did not pose a risk to her children. Neighbors said she seemed to be a loving, attentive mother. "There were never any indications of violence with this family," agency spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales said. "The children had always been healthy, happy and cared for." But, on Monday, authorities discovered a grisly scene at the family's apartment after the child's father called a day-care center, and asked them to check on his wife and daughter. Day-care workers called 911 after talking to the mother; an operator then called Schlosser. Asked if there was an emergency, Schlosser calmly responded "Yes," according to 911 tapes released by police. "Exactly what happened?" the 911 operator asked. "I cut her arms off," Schlosser replied, as the hymn "He Touched Me" played in the background. "You cut her arms off?" he repeated. "Uh huh," she answered. It was not immediately clear what instrument was used to sever the baby's arms or why the child's father called a day-care center to check on his family. Schlosser lived at the apartment with other family members, including her two older daughters. Authorities said the girls, ages 6 and 9, were at school when police arrived, and that their father was at work. No one answered the door Monday night at the family's apartment in suburban Dallas. Children's bicycles rested near the entrance along with angel garden statues. Neighbors said Schlosser took her children swimming in the summer, had picnics in the courtyard and walked her baby around the complex the same time each afternoon. Dena Livingston, 43, said she saw Schlosser making her rounds with the stroller on Sunday. Two days earlier, she saw Schlosser waiting with the baby outside the elementary school where her two other daughters attend. "She didn't give off like she was in a distant world or didn't care about the baby," Livingston said. Livingston's husband, Brad, added: "To see her with the girls, you would just think she was a great mother." Child-protective officials were interviewing Schlosser's daughters and would talk to the father before deciding whether to remove the girls from the home. In January, the agency was called to the home after Schlosser was seen running down the street, with one of her daughters bicycling after her, authorities said. When officials arrived, the child told them her mother had left her 6-day-old sister alone in the apartment. Schlosser appeared at the time to be suffering from postpartum depression and having a psychotic episode, Gonzales said. Schlosser was hospitalized, and later agreed to seek counseling and saw a psychiatrist, Gonzales said. "At the time we closed the case, we had been assured that Mom was stabilized and that she was not a risk to herself or her children," Geoff Wool, spokesman for the Family and Protective Services Department, said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 I was just reading about this. Unreal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YASNY Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 I can't even comprehend allowing that thought to enter your brain, to say nothing of acting on it. I've heard many adjectives used to try and describe this horror. Incomprehensible is the closest I can come to describing it. But that does not even begin to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Prawn Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 That is horrible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosMediasBlancas Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 She'll probably plead post delivery depression and walk, tragic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelasDaddy0427 Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 That is just sickening. I hope she rots in jail or a mental hospital for the rest of her miserable life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 The first line of the story: A woman with a history of postpartum depression... Well, well, well, she's innocent! The disease made her do it! :puke Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 I was on my way home last night and heard about this on the local news. This morning, they were playing the 911 tape. Holy s***, it's scary. The lady was so cold, no emotion what-so-ever... VERY chilling. The lady was investigated by CPS here in Dallas. They took her off the logs earlier this month - she had walked away from her baby three days after it was born and left it at the apartment alone... she was walking down the street and her other two kids called the cops. This is freakin' bizarre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 The first line of the story: Well, well, well, she's innocent! The disease made her do it! :puke There is NO excuse for this crap.. but the woman had been in the hospital previously, and DCFS was called into the home. There were plenty of signs that this woman had troubles, and from early indications.. she tried to seek help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mreye Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 There is NO excuse for this crap.. but the woman had been in the hospital previously, and DCFS was called into the home. There were plenty of signs that this woman had troubles, and from early indications.. she tried to seek help. So she tried to seek help? Who stopped her? If she knew she was "sick" then what happened here? I just don't buy into all this crap that it's the disease's fault. Bah! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxy Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Sounds more like post-partum psychosis to me. It will be interesting to hear the psychiatrists testimony. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilJester99 Posted November 23, 2004 Author Share Posted November 23, 2004 She will be locked up in a psyche ward for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steff Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 So she tried to seek help? Who stopped her? If she knew she was "sick" then what happened here? I just don't buy into all this crap that it's the disease's fault. Bah! The system didn't feel she was sick enough I guess. It's not just PPD. This woman has serious mental issues. Why didn't CPS investigate further? Where the hell was the father? I'd like to know the answers to those 2 questions.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackie hayes Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 So she tried to seek help? Who stopped her? If she knew she was "sick" then what happened here? I just don't buy into all this crap that it's the disease's fault. Bah! Can you think of any other reason she would do this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxy Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Decent website on postpartum... I do tend to agree with diagnosis of reduced culpability in cases of postpartum. This isn't a case of the baby blues when this happens, it can be full out Schizophrenia style disorder. I think there's some decent research out there too on the neurological effects that postpartum is related to--I think it's something like an excessively low level of dopamine/serotonin. Anyway, it does have some physiological stuff too, so it's not just a concoction of defense lawyers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Sounds more like post-partum psychosis to me. It will be interesting to hear the psychiatrists testimony. Honest question... is that real diagnosis? I have never heard that before, and I am not sure if you are serious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxy Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Honest question... is that real diagnosis? I have never heard that before, and I am not sure if you are serious. It is a real diagnosis. There's three levels of postpartum-- 1.) Baby Blues (can't recall real psych term--been a while since abnormal) 2.) Postpartum Depression 3.) Postpartum Psychosis The woman in Texas who murdered her children because of the voice of God (Yates?) was a case of psychosis not just depression. But it has all the symptoms of psychosis that you might see in an episode of, like, Schizophrenia or severe depression (which can cross into psychosis). But, yeah, real phenomenon. They're still working on the neurological underpinnings, but I believe it's the two neurotransmitters plus odd levels of hormones they're focusing on.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 It is a real diagnosis. There's three levels of postpartum-- 1.) Baby Blues (can't recall real psych term--been a while since abnormal) 2.) Postpartum Depression 3.) Postpartum Psychosis The woman in Texas who murdered her children because of the voice of God (Yates?) was a case of psychosis not just depression. But it has all the symptoms of psychosis that you might see in an episode of, like, Schizophrenia or severe depression (which can cross into psychosis). But, yeah, real phenomenon. They're still working on the neurological underpinnings, but I believe it's the two neurotransmitters plus odd levels of hormones they're focusing on.... Thanks for the info Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxy Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 (edited) Thanks for the info Putting my psych degree/etc to good work. Somewhere my mom and dad are smiling....Legislation and better defs from NIH Edited November 23, 2004 by ChiSoxyGirl Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoxAce Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 People=s*** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Chappas Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 It is a real diagnosis. There's three levels of postpartum-- 1.) Baby Blues (can't recall real psych term--been a while since abnormal) 2.) Postpartum Depression 3.) Postpartum Psychosis The woman in Texas who murdered her children because of the voice of God (Yates?) was a case of psychosis not just depression. But it has all the symptoms of psychosis that you might see in an episode of, like, Schizophrenia or severe depression (which can cross into psychosis). But, yeah, real phenomenon. They're still working on the neurological underpinnings, but I believe it's the two neurotransmitters plus odd levels of hormones they're focusing on.... This changed my thoughts on the matter.... I guess but I can still not comprehend it. How long has then been a disease? Not to sound like a fool, but I never really heard of it until recently, although I may not have been paying close attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxy Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 This changed my thoughts on the matter.... I guess but I can still not comprehend it. How long has then been a disease? Not to sound like a fool, but I never really heard of it until recently, although I may not have been paying close attention. I'm not sure, I'm not a clinician (thank goodness)--but I think that the division into the three sub-sets is more recent. I think that this distinction and levels of the disease probably is following the developments in tracking neurochemistry and maybe better medical records and follow ups with moms. I first heard about it about 3 years ago (I think) and it was new in the psychology field--and was not that known or accepted by people out of the field... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapkomet Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 The system didn't feel she was sick enough I guess. It's not just PPD. This woman has serious mental issues. Why didn't CPS investigate further? Where the hell was the father? I'd like to know the answers to those 2 questions.. CPS investigated for 10 months and closed the case last month... she was on meds, etc for her illness and they deemed her "ok". The father is around, and from what the local news is saying, thought everything was ok as well since treatment. She had been going to a therapist, etc. from what I understand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilJester99 Posted November 23, 2004 Author Share Posted November 23, 2004 I think one of the first times I heard of post partum was with the Naperville mom who killed her children in their home. I forget what her name was though. I believe it was about 3 or 4 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soxy Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 I think one of the first times I heard of post partum was with the Naperville mom who killed her children in their home. I forget what her name was though. I believe it was about 3 or 4 years ago. Marilyn Lemak Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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