STORY: "Bee exclusive: "Babysitter Megan Martzen took plea bargain to regain family," by reporter Marc Benjamin, published by the Sacramento Bee on March 9, 2013.
GIST: "Megan Martzen wanted to fight, wanted to prove to a jury that she was innocent in the death of toddler Ella VanLeeuwen. But logic ultimately convinced her to settle her case. In an exclusive interview with The Fresno Bee this week, Martzen, 23, said her decision to take the district attorney's plea deal for involuntary manslaughter was difficult. But after meeting with her lawyer, Jeff Hammerschmidt, and her mother, April Roque, she decided it was the best one for her and her family.........Martzen continues to say that she would never have done anything to hurt Ella and that she misses caring for both her and her older brother, John.Hammerschmidt said that the scientific evidence proved to the jury that Ella's fall was one in a string of accidents -- at least one occurring at the VanLeeuwens' home. Martzen hopes that someday the VanLeeuwens will allow someone to review with them the evidence that proves Ella's death resulted from a series of accidents. "My heart hurts that they were led to believe anything other than" accidents led to her death, Martzen said......... Along with focusing on getting custody of her son, Martzen wants to start talking to babysitters and children's caretakers about team babysitting. If a second person had been with Martzen to corroborate Ella's fall from the bed, the investigation probably would not have focused on her. Testimony during the trial revealed that prior bruising to Ella was caused by at least one previous accident in her family's home. Having to endure the death of a child in her care wasn't something that Martzen thought could ever happen to her. "I think girls are very apt to have that motherly instinct, and for them it's an easy job and one of the jobs you get asked to do right away," she said. "But you don't think of all the repercussions it can have, like Ella falling off the bed.""
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/05/09/3293426/bee-exclusive-megan-martzen-said.html
Dear reader: Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for future posts. We are following this case.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.
Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
GIST: "Megan Martzen wanted to fight, wanted to prove to a jury that she was innocent in the death of toddler Ella VanLeeuwen. But logic ultimately convinced her to settle her case. In an exclusive interview with The Fresno Bee this week, Martzen, 23, said her decision to take the district attorney's plea deal for involuntary manslaughter was difficult. But after meeting with her lawyer, Jeff Hammerschmidt, and her mother, April Roque, she decided it was the best one for her and her family.........Martzen continues to say that she would never have done anything to hurt Ella and that she misses caring for both her and her older brother, John.Hammerschmidt said that the scientific evidence proved to the jury that Ella's fall was one in a string of accidents -- at least one occurring at the VanLeeuwens' home. Martzen hopes that someday the VanLeeuwens will allow someone to review with them the evidence that proves Ella's death resulted from a series of accidents. "My heart hurts that they were led to believe anything other than" accidents led to her death, Martzen said......... Along with focusing on getting custody of her son, Martzen wants to start talking to babysitters and children's caretakers about team babysitting. If a second person had been with Martzen to corroborate Ella's fall from the bed, the investigation probably would not have focused on her. Testimony during the trial revealed that prior bruising to Ella was caused by at least one previous accident in her family's home. Having to endure the death of a child in her care wasn't something that Martzen thought could ever happen to her. "I think girls are very apt to have that motherly instinct, and for them it's an easy job and one of the jobs you get asked to do right away," she said. "But you don't think of all the repercussions it can have, like Ella falling off the bed.""
The entire story can be found at:
http://www.fresnobee.com/2013/05/09/3293426/bee-exclusive-megan-martzen-said.html
Dear reader: Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for future posts. We are following this case.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE:
I have added a search box for content in this blog which now encompasses several thousand posts. The search box is located near the bottom of the screen just above the list of links. I am confident that this powerful search tool provided by "Blogger" will help our readers and myself get more out of the site.
The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at:
http://www.thestar.com/topic/
Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at:
http://smithforensic.blogspot.
Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com
Harold Levy: Publisher; The Charles Smith Blog.
