PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Counsel assisting, Gail Furness SC, said a multidisciplinary panel of experts conducted genomic sequence testing on the babies' samples using technologies that had emerged since their mother's NSW trial in 2003. Ms Furness said the results of genetic-related investigations at the time were normal and did not indicate the need for further testing - but significant advances have since been made. Folbigg was jailed for at least 25 years after she was convicted of killing her four babies - Caleb, Patrick, Sarah and Laura - in the decade from 1989. They died aged between 19 days and 19 months. The 2019 inquiry is focused on medical advances and new research including into three or more infant deaths in the one family attributed to unidentified natural causes. Material available for genetic testing included blood spots from each child taken at birth and kept at the Children's Hospital at Westmead, and tissue samples fixed in glass and wax block slides and held at the coroners court. Kidney, liver, skin, skeletal muscle and heart tissue samples frozen at -80C from Patrick's autopsy in 1991, formalin-immersed brain tissue from Laura's autopsy in 1999 and a recent DNA sample from Folbigg herself were also produced to the inquiry. Ms Furness said the expert reports from Sydney and Canberra found "no known pathogenic - capable of causing disease - or likely pathogenic variants in genes that could explain unexpected death" in any of Folbigg's four children."
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PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I will be into this fascinating case which raises the possibilty that Kathleen Folbigg was wrongly convicted of murder and manslaughter because every one of her four children died natural deaths. Expert evidence will play a major role in the Inquiry now under way. The inquiry could last many months. I will therefore be dipping in from time to time.
Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.
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Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.
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BACKGROUND: (Wikipedia): Kathleen Megan Folbigg (née Donovan) (born 14 June 1967) is an Australian serial child killer
who was convicted of murdering her three infant children, Patrick Allen
(at age eight months), Sarah Kathleen (at age ten months) and Laura
Elizabeth (at age nineteen months). She was also convicted of the manslaughter of her fourth child, Caleb Gibson (at age nineteen days). The murders took place between 1989 and 1999,[1] coming to an end only when her husband discovered her personal diary, which detailed the killings.[1] Folbigg was originally sentenced to forty years' imprisonment, with a non-parole period of thirty years, but on appeal
this was reduced to thirty years, with a non-parole period of
twenty-five years. She maintains her innocence, claiming the four
children died from natural causes..........................Folbigg's trial lasted seven weeks. The prosecution
alleged Folbigg murdered her four children by smothering them during
periods of frustration. During a jury replay of Folbigg's police
interview, she attempted to run from the courtroom.[5] The defence
made the case that Kathleen did not kill or harm her children and that
she did not think that Craig was responsible either. Although
prosecution witnesses were concerned about the lack of prodromal
(early-warning) symptoms in any of the children, the defence posed natural explanations for the events such as cot death and, in the case of Laura's death, myocarditis.
The defence highlighted that Folbigg was a caring mother, pointing to
journal entries that showed the care and concern that she gave her
children. Some of her acquaintances gave statements to investigators
about her caring nature. The defence pointed out that there were no direct admissions to
the killings in Folbigg's journal entries, and that any entries
indirectly suggesting her responsibility could be chalked up to a
typical grieving mother's guilt. Folbigg appeared genuinely distraught
to ambulance and police responders to the scene. They pointed out that
no physical evidence could link Folbigg to murder; it was an entirely
circumstantial case with very little consensus among the scientific
experts who testified at trial........................On the 22 Aug 2018, New South Wales Attorney-General Mark Speakman announced there would be an inquiry into the convictions, to "ensure public confidence in the administration of justice".[6]
It was in response to a petition presented by her supporters. “The
petition appears to raise a doubt or question concerning the evidence as
to the incidence of reported deaths of three or more infants in the
same family attributed to unidentified natural causes in the proceedings
leading to Ms Folbigg’s convictions,” he said.[7] She will remain in custody during the course of the inquiry, which is estimated to take between six and twelve months.
STORY: "DNA of dead Folbigg babies before inquiry," published by AAP (Australian Associated Press) on April 15, 2019.
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. 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/c
