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TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby

By TChris, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 08:19:15 AM EST
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by TChris

After a Texas jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict, the parties agreed to let Judge Chris Oldner decide whether Dena Schlosser was guilty of murder for "cutting off her 10-month-old daughter's arms and leaving the bleeding baby in her crib to die."

Several psychiatrists testified that Schlosser lost touch with reality, suffered severe mood swings and experienced religious hallucinations and delusions. One doctor said she told him she wanted to cut off her baby's arms and her own limbs and head and give them God.

The defense faulted Schlosser's husband for not getting her adequate mental health treatment and also blamed her preacher, Doyle Davidson, who believes only God can cure mental illness.

Judge Oldner rendered his verdict today, finding Schlosser not guilty by reason of insanity. Schlosser will be committed for mental health treatment.

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    TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby | 15 comments (15 topical)
    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#1)
    by scarshapedstar on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 08:39:52 AM EST
    All part of God's plan.

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 08:52:10 AM EST
    The Insanity Defense is a crock. Why someone commits a crime doesn't matter a whole lot to the victim - especially when an insanity defense is nothing more than a competing set of experts bloviating.

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#3)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 09:01:04 AM EST
    Thank You, Dr Frist.

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#4)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 09:32:28 AM EST
    charlie, If a mentally disturbed person kills you, you're every bit as dead. And in my opinion, they are still responsible.

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 09:41:45 AM EST
    And if you wear a white smock and a stethoscope and walk around looking at charts, listening to heartbeats, patting kids on the head and giving out lollipops with a good bedside manner, you still won't know what the hell you're talking about.

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#6)
    by phat on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 09:42:16 AM EST
    This is really great news. phat

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#7)
    by Patrick on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 09:45:59 AM EST
    What I don't get is why this is news at all. If she's insane, the system worked. I've nver heard of letting a judge decide in a case where the jury couldn't. Isn't that a hung jury and a mistrial? Why would the defense agree to let a judge decide if they had a clear win in their column?

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#8)
    by Patrick on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 09:49:35 AM EST
    Never mind. Always helps to read the article. I guess T-Chris' angle is a shot a religous nutcases.

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#9)
    by jondee on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 09:53:29 AM EST
    j.r - While we're at it, maybe we should cut out the "bloviating" lawyers and just let Judge Roy Bean handle the whole thing?

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#10)
    by chew2 on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 10:09:11 AM EST
    I don't know the facts, but I'll assume it was the correct decision under the law based on the evidence presented. And I think the law is correct, you shouldn't be held criminally liable if you can't form the requisite evil intent or intent to kill. In general I don't think the gruesomeness of the crime or the innocence of the victim should change that.

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 10:31:54 AM EST
    Posted by Patrick April 7, 2006 10:45 AM
    What I don't get is why this is news at all. If she's insane, the system worked. I've nver heard of letting a judge decide in a case where the jury couldn't. Isn't that a hung jury and a mistrial? Why would the defense agree to let a judge decide if they had a clear win in their column?
    Given the facts of the case, perhaps it was in the best interest of their client. She just may be that far gone. Her husband may have been just that irresponsible in not getting her help. Therefore, he bears some degree of liability for his child's death due to his negligence. There's no other way to slice it.

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 10:38:01 AM EST
    Posted by James Robertson April 7, 2006 09:52 AM
    nothing more than a competing set of experts bloviating.
    Funny, that's what Doctors call a diagnosis. So, you're not a big fan of findin' out what the problem is, eh, JR? You're more a cut somethin', anything!, kinda guy.

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 11:01:12 AM EST
    I've nver heard of letting a judge decide in a case where the jury couldn't. Ever read Playback by Raymond Chandler?

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#14)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 02:28:31 PM EST
    Living down the road form Plano, TX and watching/hearing this case, this is the correct outcome for the mother. She displayed many mental problems, problems that anyone would, or should have noticed as not being right and should have taken her to a professional for help. Ole hubby, living with her day in and day out noticed, but rather than seeking professional help for her, took her to church. Her husband took her to church, and the preacher, elders, and hubby all decide she is possessed and they begin doing what ever vo-do they do to get the devil spirits out of her.... Now that Dean Schlosser has been taken care of in the courts... they should turn their attention to hubby and ole preacher man and charge them with murder. They murdered that child through their actions. They didn't use a gun, they used the child's mother to murder that little girl and they should pay the price !!!!

    Re: TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby (none / 0) (#15)
    by Patrick on Fri Apr 07, 2006 at 08:26:21 PM EST
    Given the facts of the case, perhaps it was in the best interest of their client. She just may be that far gone. Her husband may have been just that irresponsible in not getting her help. Therefore, he bears some degree of liability for his child's death due to his negligence. There's no other way to slice it.
    Charlie, Actually, I answered my own question by reading the linked article. Which was why the very next post said, never mind. But thanks for the input. Of course there are many ways to "slice it," but the defense obviously made the right choice. If she needed help, getting mistrial wasn't helping her.

    TX Woman Found Not Guilty in Death of Baby | 15 comments (15 topical)