NICHOLAS MUNDEN - 6 Months (2008) - Valparaiso IN

VALPARAISO | A second doctor took the stand Wednesday on behalf
of prosecutors and said she believes 6-month-old Chesterton
resident Nicholas Munden died of child abuse.
Dr. Jill Glick, medical director of the child protection team at
the University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital, said Munden
suffered severe brain trauma and eye trauma that typically is seen
only in abuse cases and auto accidents.



Liberty Township resident Deborah Parlock is on trial this week
on a felony charge of causing Munden's death while watching the boy
Sept. 19, 2008, at her home day care center.
Parlock said she found the boy unresponsive and has consistently
denied doing anything wrong.
Defense attorney John Vouga challenged Glick's conclusion by
questioning the details of the hospital's findings and saying he
plans to present medical experts of his own, who will dispute the
finding of child abuse.
Vouga, who is arguing Munden died of natural causes as a result
of health problems including swelling of his head, prompted Glick
to say she was unaware the boy had skull or scalp bruising at birth
and to confirm 30 percent or more babies have retinal bleeding from birth.
Glick also said water on the brain could begin before a baby is
born and cause symptoms similar to those reportedly experienced by Munden.
Yet Glick denied Vouga's assertion that a shaken baby would have
external injuries and/or fractures not found on Munden.
"Most of them don't," she said.
Also testifying Wednesday, on behalf of the defense, was Carol
Blouir, who said county police never pursued an offer to interview
her son, who was present at the time of the death.
Blouir said she still would trust her children to Parlock's care.
"She (Parlock) was like a grandmother to my children," she said.
The defense is expected to continue its case today with
testimony from two doctors and possibly Parlock.
http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/duneland/liberty-township/article_56be8710-d400-5729-b52a-0d4ab012a70c.html

Jury clears home day-care provider in baby’s death


Updated: June 17, 2011

A Porter County jury took about two hours Thursday to find a former home day-care provider not guilty of abusing a 6-month-old, leading to his death.

Deborah R. Parlock, 56, of Chesterton faced a 20- to 50-year sentence if jurors had found her guilty of felony battery resulting in the death of a person less than 14 years of age.

Defense attorneys John Vouga and Nick Barnes had argued that the death of Nicholas B. Munden was a result of his poor health.

“I never doubted Debbie’s innocence since the day she walked into my office,” Vouga said after the verdict was announced. “From the minute she called 911, she has told the truth about what happened.”
read more>
http://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/porter/5998408-418/jury-clears-sitter-in-babys-death.html