Unrestrained Anger
In Lincolnshire, Illinois, a 22 year-old woman was charged with first degree murder in the death of a toddler at a day care center where she was working. Police say Melissa Calasinski admitted that she became angry with 16-month-old Benjamin Kinkan and threw him to the floor. An autopsy of the boy revealed a fractured skull and internal bleeding. (USA Today 1-20-2009, p. 9A)
Found Guilty
In East Tennessee, a former daycare owner was found guilty of first degree murder of a six year old girl and the abuse of her two older brothers. Cheyenne Delp died in 2004. A jury recommended a life sentence to Sherri Mathis, 41, who claims it was the girl’s prescription medication that killed her. (USAToday, 3-6-2008, p. 7A)
Virginia Struggling With Child Care Deaths
This week legislators in Richmond, Virginia, made proposals to try to make child care safer. The action came after a Washington Post investigation found that 60 children had died while in day care in the state since 2004, an average of about 6 per year. (USA Today, 1/26/2015, p 4A)