KAMRYN GERKEN - 13 Months (2007) - Napoleon (SW of Toledo) OH

A jury has found a Napoleon woman guilty in the death of her 13-month-old daughter.Jayme
Schwenkmeyer, 24, was found guilty Friday of child endangerment, a
third-degree felony, and involuntary manslaughter, a first-degree
felony. Toxicology reports found that her daughter, Kamryn Gerken, died
Aug. 15, 2007, from an overdose of Xanax and oxycodone.Jury
deliberation began Friday at approximately 3 p.m. following 2 1/2 days of
testimony from witnesses and lasted approximately three hours.Schwenkmeyer
appeared upset, covering her face and sobbing, as the verdict was read
by Henry County Common Pleas Court Judge Keith Muehlfeld.Muehlfeld revoked Scwhenkmeyer's bond following a request from Prosecutor John Hanna and ordered a pre-sentence investigation.A sentencing date was not scheduled.She could face up to 10 years in jail for the involuntary manslaughter charge and up to five years for child endangerment.The
defense called just two witnesses to the stand Friday morning --
Timothy Sonnenberg, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Wauseon, and
Ryan Hobbs, former owner of the Wright-Hobbs Funeral Home in Liberty
Center -- before closing arguments were heard.In his final
statement, Hanna told members of the jury that evidence from witnesses,
and even Schwenkmeyer herself, indicated that she abused drugs while in
the presence of Gerken and recklessly failed to care for her on the day
of her death."All parents have a duty to care, protect and
support their children. Does this look like someone who could have cared
for herself, protected herself?" Hanna asked jurors as a picture of
Gerken was shown.Defense attorney Dave Klucas, in his closing
argument, told jurors that it was David Knepley, 40, who was caring for
Gerken in the hours before her death and that the drugs found in
Gerken's body belonged to him, not Schwenkmeyer."Should Jayme have known what was doing to happen (to Gerken)?" he asked the jury."There is absolutely no evidence that Jayme had drugs on her or at the apartment on Aug. 15, 2007."An Oct. 18 trial has been set for David Knepley on the same charges.Schwenkmeyer
hugged members of her family following the trial. She was taken by a
Henry County Sheriff's Deputy to the Corrections Center of Northwest
Ohio, rural Stryker.