Previous condition could have contributed to infant's death, expert testifies
Wednesday, May 28, 2008 11:32 PM PDT
By Stephanie Mathieu
Printable version
E-mail this articleA paid medical expert on Wednesday said the Longview infant allegedly killed by her father in 2006 could have died from a spontaneous brain bleed or dehydration.
Defense lawyers called Jan Leetsma to the stand to rebut prosecution witnesses who say the 3-month-old infant died from shaking or a severe whiplash.
Microscopic slides of the baby’s brain obtained during an autopsy show a lining around the brain made up of scar tissue, blood and other cells, said Leetsma, a neuropathologist, a discipline specializing in examining fatal brain illnesses and injuries.
His finding suggests the infant’s brain had been bleeding for at least a week before her death, and bleeding could have started as early as birth, Leetsma said.
“These are very thin wall capillaries, and they just leak,” Leetsma said. “There must have been some bleeding there, way back.”
Benjamin Shane Pingle, 25, of Castle Rock faces charges of second-degree murder or first-degree manslaughter in the death of his 12-week-old daughter, Justice Pingle. He also faces second- or third-degree domestic violence assault of a child for allegedly causing scrapes and bruises on Justice’s twin sister, Liberty Pingle.
The trial is in its third week, and the defense expects to call family members to the stand.
On Jan. 22, 2006, Krystal Pingle called 911 shortly after 2:30 p.m. to report she had just arrived home and her baby wasn’t breathing. The baby, who could not be revived at St. John Medical Center, died of “closed-head trauma, with the manner of death being a homicide,” according to the autopsy.
Longview police arrested Benjamin Pingle — Krystal’s husband — two days later on suspicion of causing his daughter’s death by abuse. Prosecutors say he was alone with the children before Krystal arrived.
Krystal Pingle testified last week that two days before Justice’s death, she noticed a bruise on Liberty’s face. The next day, she noticed a bruise on Justice’s back while bathing her.
The defense contends Justice died from brain injuries suffered at birth that were compounded three months later by dehydration. The twins, born nearly five weeks premature, had a cold days before Justice’s death, and Benjamin Pingle told police Justice was vomiting violently and probably became dehydrated hours before her death.
Leetsma said dehydration could have contributed to the baby’s death.
“(Dehydration) can produce a whole series of complications,” including clotting of veins in the brain, Leetsma said.
During the first week of trial, an emergency room doctor called by the prosecution testified that Justice showed no obvious signs of dehydration. And the medical examiner testified that dehydration could not have caused the infant’s brain to hemorrhage.
Leetsma said Wednesday that vomiting could have been a symptom of bleeding on the brain reaching a critical mass. The excess blood prevented Justice’s brain from absorbing spinal fluid, shutting down her brain.
“Could this have gone back to birth? Yes,” Leetsma said. “Children (premature) like this one … are more at risk for these kinds of problems.”
Last week, a forensic pathologist testified that the brain bleeding was caused by whiplash or shaking. The pathologist also said the bruises found on Justice and her twin sister were fresh and could not have been self-inflicted, as the defense asserts.
Even though an ultrasound did not pick up bleeding in Justice’s brain at birth, a more precise CT or MRI scan probably would have, Leetsma testified. No such scans were taken.
“Even though the ultrasound didn’t pick up blood, this child probably had some,” Leetsma said.
During cross examination, Cowlitz County Prosecutor Sue Baur asked if Leetsma’s theory about spontaneous bleeding is controversial, especially among forensic pathologists. He said he believes forensic pathologists are coming to accept the theory.
Baur also confirmed that a medical journal article Leetsma wrote about the theory of spontaneous brain bleeds prompted 72 physicians to write a letter to the editor of the journal that called his theory a “courtroom diagnosis, not a medical diagnosis.”
roudy russ wrote on May 29, 2008 6:21 AM:
turkeyhunterman wrote on May 29, 2008 9:05 AM:
Jackal wrote on May 29, 2008 9:12 AM:
my opinion wrote on May 29, 2008 9:17 AM:
Jackal wrote on May 29, 2008 9:46 AM:
Rosie wrote on May 29, 2008 10:08 AM:
turkeyhunterman wrote on May 29, 2008 10:34 AM:
my opinion wrote on May 29, 2008 11:17 AM:
shock n awe wrote on May 29, 2008 11:31 AM:
turkeyhunterman wrote on May 29, 2008 11:44 AM:
cheerio wrote on May 29, 2008 11:58 AM:
Nexus wrote on May 29, 2008 12:09 PM:
Nexus wrote on May 29, 2008 12:38 PM:
" Based on my own personal experience, I have yet to meet a "medical export" in Longview. I think cases like these when they are based solely on expert opinions need to have "real" experts brought in out of town. I would happen to lean more to believing a real expert then a doc from Longview. " "
Mama Duck wrote on May 29, 2008 2:21 PM:
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roudy russ wrote on May 29, 2008 5:06 PM:
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