KAITLYN HOLDERFIELD - 46 Days (2011) - Found not guilty by jury - Cedar Rapids IA

CEDAR RAPIDS – The 46-day-old baby had acute rib fractures that were
in different stages of healing and the doctor determined her injuries
were from non-accidental trauma, “in other words – child abuse,” Linn
County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden said Monday.

Kaitlyn Holderfield had broken ribs on her left and right sides, a
broken clavicle and bruising to her chin, mouth area and cheeks, Vander
Sanden said. Her father, Timothy Holderfield brought her into the
emergency room Jan. 20, 2011 saying he burped her and heard a “popping”
sound, but the doctor will testify it doesn’t explain the infant’s rib
fractures.

Mike Lahammer, Holderfield’s attorney, said in his opening this case
is about an “incomplete investigation.” Kaitlyn’s mother Jennifer
Woodward developed maternal epilepsy while pregnant and had
uncontrollable body convulsions after Kaitlyn was born. Woodward may
have caused the injuries during one of these episodes because she didn’t
know when she had them and had to be told afterward, he said.

Lahammer said this fact was never investigated by the Department of
Human Services, who intervened when the hospital reported the possible
child abuse.

Holderfield is charged with child endangerment causing serious
injury. If convicted, he faces 10 years in prison. He is accused of
causing daughter Kaitlyn’s injuries.

Opening statements and two witnesses testified in the first day of
trial. The trial will continue 9 a.m. Tuesday in Linn County District
Court. It’s expected to wrap up Wednesday.

Vander Sanden told the seven women, six men jury that Holderfield
told conflicting stories about what happened to Kaitlyn when he brought
the child to the hospital. Holderfield said he burped her and heard
“popping,” and then he said he put the child down in her crib and heard a
pop. Another version was he swaddled her too tight and heard the
popping sound.

Kaitlyn also had bruising on her chin, left and right sides of her
mouth and her left chest but Holderfield couldn’t explain them, Vander
Sanden said.

Lahammer said his account of the events that night didn’t conflict.
One doctor will testify that some of Kaitlyn’s injuries could have been
from swaddling her too tight and he didn’t consider Woodward’s epileptic
seizures. Some of the injuries also were three or four weeks old, which
could have resulted from childbirth.

Kaitlyn had also been in the care of Woodward’s parents, who Woodward
was concerned about their drinking and her father’s alleged violent
behavior, Lahammer said. Adam, Kaitlyn’s 2-year-old brother, also had
physical behavior towards her.

Cedar Rapids Police Officer Branden Bosenberg testified that
Holderfield heard a popping noise when he burped Kaitlyn and he did
swaddle her tight because it calms her down when she is fussy.
Holderfield said Kaitlyn had been fussy all night and she had been hard
to calm down.

Holderfield said he didn’t know how Kaitlyn’s ribs were broken and he
cooperated with police, Bosenberg said on cross examination.

Bosenberg said Holderfield didn’t tell Woodward he left the house
that night and she didn’t come to the hospital until an officer went to
their house and asked her to come to the police department for
questioning.

The other witness, a Cedar Rapids Police crime scene investigator, showed the photos of Kaitlyn’s injuries to the jurors.
http://easterniowanewsnow.com/2012/01/30/jury-selection-starts-today-in-linn-county-child-endangerment-trial/

OMG sounds like this entire family shouldn't be around babies or children. I hope the children are placed in a safe home and not with these questionable people. And of course a baby is going to cry all night if her ribs are broken. I've had broken ribs before and it's more painful than breaking a major bone because every time you move it's excruciating. These poor babies with broken ribs--it's heartbreaking.

The mother of a 46-day-old infant who suffered acute rib fractures, a broken clavicle and bruising on her face and chest, testified Wednesday in boyfriend Timothy Holderfield’s trial that she didn’t know how her daughter was injured.

Jennifer Woodward, tearing up at times during her testimony, said it didn’t seem odd or unusual to her that Holderfield took daughter Kaitlyn, now 1-1/2 years-old, to the emergency room Jan. 20, 2011 and left her sleeping at home. She had to be at work early in the morning that next day.

“(Timothy) Shane worries about his kids,” she said. “If there’s a problem, he is going to solve it.”

Holderfield, 26, also known as Shane, is charged with child endangerment causing serious injury. He is accused of causing Kaitlyn’s injuries, which a doctor said Tuesday was non-accidental trauma — child abuse. The defense denies Holderfield abused the child.

The defense rested after Woodward’s testimony. Holderfield declined to testify. The jury began deliberating the case around noon Wednesday.

Woodward said she worked the day Kaitlyn was taken to the hospital but was home in the evening hours. Kaitlyn had been fussy that night and she tried to calm her down and put her in her crib about 9 p.m. She also went to bed.

She was then awakened by a police officer knocking on her door. Woodward said the officer told her Kaitlyn had been hurt and she needed to come with him. He took her to the police department for questioning. An officer asked her about Holderfield’s demeanor and how he was around Kaitlyn.

“My daughter was hurt and they wouldn’t let me see her,” Woodward said as she started tearing up. “I think the police lied to me. I thought they were taking me to the hospital.”

Mike Lahammer, Holderfield’s attorney, asked Woodward several questions about having epilepsy. Lahammer said in his opening said Woodward had seizures, which made her body convulse, and suggested she may have had one, causing Kaitlyn’s injuries.

Woodward said she was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 16. She developed grand mal seizures after her first child, Adam, now 2-1/2 years-old. When a seizure occurs, she has body convulsions and blacks out. She totaled her car in the past after blacking out during a seizure, she testified.

After being told about Kaitlyn’s injuries, Woodward said she wondered if she could have had one while sleeping in the recliner with Kaitlyn, which frequently happened.

On cross examination, Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden asked her if she got a phone call from Holderfield while police was taking her in for questioning and the officer told her she couldn’t talk to him at the moment.

Woodward said she didn’t remember.

Vander Sanden asked why Holderfield didn’t leave her a note or call her. Wouldn’t she want to know if her child was being taken to the emergency room? he asked.

Woodward said he didn’t leave a note or call. She would want to know if her child was injured. She then denied seeing bruises on Kaitlyn’s face, which a doctor testified Tuesday as being consistent with a handprint on her face while photos were shown to the jury of the bruises.

Woodward said Kaitlyn may have had a bruise on chin a day or two before she was taken to the hospital.

Vander Sanden asked if she told police Holderfield may have swaddled Kaitlyn too tightly, which may have caused the injuries.

“I didn’t tell them that happened….I assumed that might have happened,” Woodward said.

Woodward said Holderfield told her later he may have swaddled her too tight.

The couple both would swaddle Kaitlyn, Woodward said. Their pediatrician told them it makes infants feel more comfortable, like they are being held by a parent.


http://thegazette.com/2012/02/01/mother-testifies-she-didnt-know-how-her-infant-daughter-had-rib-fractures-facial-bruising/

Cedar Rapids man found not guilty of child endangerment

A father accused of causing rib fractures and facial bruising to his 46-day-old infant was found not guilty Thursday afternoon by a Linn County jury.

More:
http://thegazette.com/2012/02/02/cedar-rapids-man-found-not-guilty-of-child-endangerment/

Thanks for the update IMFO!

So they both got away with tormenting this poor little baby. I wonder who has custody.

Vander Sanden asked if she told police Holderfield may have swaddled Kaitlyn too tightly, which may have caused the injuries.

“I didn’t tell them that happened….I assumed that might have happened,” Woodward said.

Woodward said Holderfield told her later he may have swaddled her too tight.

The
couple both would swaddle Kaitlyn, Woodward said. Their pediatrician
told them it makes infants feel more comfortable, like they are being
held by a parent.

I'm sure broken ribs and bruises made this infant feel more comfortable. Someone needs to break a few ribs on these adults and make them feel more comfortable.

IMFO's article is from February 12, 2012. I wonder who has this baby.

I sure hope this baby is OK as she's probably with the parents accused of abusing her.

The baby should be about a year old now. I sure hope she's OK and in a safe home.

This is a horrible conclusion. I too worry about this poor little baby. I pray she is not with her abusers.