Deadly Abuse Of Toddler Gradual -- Monroe Caregiver Charged In Slaying Of 16-Month-Old
EVERETT - The abuse began gradually, prosecutors allege.
A slap here, a backhanded hit there. Sometimes the woman would stuff the child's blanket in her mouth to stop her from crying, they say. Eventually, she got in the habit of kicking the toddler in the stomach.
Robin Johnson, 32, was charged yesterday in Snohomish County Superior Court with homicide by abuse in the death of 16-month-old Charlotte Wetzel.
Prosecutors allege the Monroe woman repeatedly abused the child before finally killing her June 3. Since January, Charlotte had attended the day-care center that Johnson operated out of her home.
On the day the child died, prosecutors say, Johnson put Charlotte in a highchair around 11:30 a.m. and cinched the chair's belt tight because she was squirming. Johnson allegedly kicked the child several times, causing her to vomit.
Johnson picked the child up by her feet, threw her on her sleeping mat on the floor, and stomped and kicked her in the stomach, according to the charges.
Medics arrived shortly before 12:30 p.m. after Johnson called 911 to report Charlotte wasn't breathing.
She was taken to a local hospital, then airlifted to Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle where she was pronounced dead.
Charlotte died of a heavy blow to the abdomen, the King County Medical Examiner's Office determined.
Johnson began abusing children under her care in January or February of last year, according to charging papers. At least two others, including an 8-month-old, were physically abused, the charges say. The abuse allegedly included slapping, pushing and hair pulling.
Johnson resented the time that the day-care children took away from her own kids and felt overwhelming anger and irritation toward them, the charges allege.
Johnson, who has no criminal record, has operated the home day-care center since 1996. She was licensed by the state to care for up to six children; in total, she has cared for fewer than 12.
On June 3, Charlotte was the only child under Johnson's care besides two of her own three children.
Johnson's children were placed in foster care Saturday by the state's Child Protective Services and returned to her husband Wednesday after a court hearing.
Snohomish County Prosecutor Jim Krider said yesterday that the case is among the worst his office has handled since he was elected prosecutor in 1994.
Homicide by abuse carries a standard sentencing range of 20 to about 26 years. For a conviction, prosecutors must show a defendant engaged in a pattern of assault, abuse or torture.
Royce Ferguson, Johnson's Everett lawyer, has said he will explore whether Johnson, who has an 11-month-old child, was suffering from postpartum depression or some other mental condition. He said a forensics psychologist would begin evaluating her today.
"If you assume she killed the child, that still doesn't tell us what was going on in her head," Ferguson said yesterday. "Why would a gal who has never been in trouble suddenly flare up like that?"
If Johnson was experiencing extreme postpartum depression - a variety of mental illnesses, ranging from depression to psychosis that can occur in a new mother - would she be capable of planning and engaging in a pattern of abuse? Ferguson questioned.
Ferguson said his client will enter a not-guilty plea at her arraignment Monday. Such a plea is routine and gets the trial process started.
The victim's parents, Margot and Milynn Wetzel, attended their daughter's funeral yesterday.
The couple have vowed to turn their private tragedy into a public campaign to raise awareness about child abuse. In addition to organizing a march Saturday, they're starting funds at Seafirst Bank and Washington Mutual Bank to benefit causes that fight such abuse.
A native of France and former au pair, Margot previously miscarried and experienced a difficult pregnancy and childbirth with Charlotte. She said it's unlikely she'll be able to have another child. She and her husband hope to adopt children.
Anne Koch's phone message number is 425-745-7814. Her e-mail address is: akoc-new@seatimes.com
------------ Silent march ------------
Margot and Milynn Wetzel, Charlotte's parents, will lead a silent march in their daughter's memory tomorrow to raise awareness of child abuse. The 1 p.m. march will begin at Fred Meyer on Highway 2 in Monroe.