Parents Plead Guilty In Heroin Death Of 11-Month-Old Teething Son
Two applied heroin to baby's teeth and gums, resulting in his death, prosecutor says
The parents of an 11-month-old boy pleaded guilty this week to administering heroin to their baby son, who died in September 2008.
The pleas ended a four-year investigation into the unexplained death of "Baby JM," Ocean County Prosecutor Marlene Lynch Ford said.
Denise Manco, 35, and Rondell Moore, 37, each pleaded guilty in Ocean County Superior Court before Judge Rochell Gizinski on Jan. 7 to one charge of second degree manslaughter in connection with the death of their infant son.
Seaside Heights police and emergency responders went to the home on Sept. 12, 2008 on a report of an unresponsive child, Ford said.
The baby was taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River, where he was later pronounced dead. The autopsy on the baby was inconclusive, but the toxicology results showed the presence of heroin in the child, Ford said.
“In October 2012, we developed new and credible information which indicated that ingestion of the heroin by the child was not accidental, but rather occurred as a result of an intentional act or acts by the parents," she said.
The two were indicted by an Ocean County Grand Jury on second-degree manslaughter charges, recklessly causing the baby's death, child endangerment and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, Ford said.
"...both defendants admitted to placing heroin in the baby’s mouth and rubbing it on the baby’s gums because he was teething," she said. "This finding was consistent with the autopsy and toxicological results conducted and reviewed by the medical examiner, Dr. Hydow Park, who determined that the baby died from acute heroin intoxication."
Both are slated to be sentenced before Judge Gizinski on Feb. 22.
"I would commend Detective Steve Korman of the Seaside Heights Police Department and Detective Sergeant Carlos Trujillo-Tovar of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office for their diligence in pursuing this investigation into the death of Baby JM," she said..
The state agreed to dismiss the child endangerment and drug possession charges in exchange for the guilty plea, Ford said.
Both could face up to ten years in prison and are subject to the state's No Early Release Act, which mandates they serve at least 85 percent of their sentence before being considered for parole, she said.
Moore also admitted to an unrelated charge of possession of CDS with the intent to distribute during a September 2012 arrest, Ford said.
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant Prosecutor Michael R. Weatherstone. Detective Steve Korman from the Seaside Heights Police Department, Detective Sergeant Carlos Trujillo-Tovar from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and Detective Eric Skieczius from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Criminalistics Investigations Unit were the lead investigators on the case.
ballyjduf
2:21 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
WHAT A CRIME ... SHOULD BE PUT TO DEATH . HOW CAN THEY LIVE WITH THEMSELVES
Jerry Belle
5:04 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Had they aborted the baby before it was born, no one on the left of the political spectrum would have even cared...
Callaspade Aspade
2:27 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
TEN YEARS EACH for a baby's LIFE????? Would they have gotten life if they intentionally shot him up with it which is the same thing? SMH...
Nicole
2:28 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
what kind of people would ever think that putting heroin in a baby's mouth was a good idea? gimme a break...
butch cassidy
4:13 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
well i guess not very smart people,,,this is tragic and so very sad, cant imagine how the responders handle some of this stuff
Janice Carpino
10:04 am on Sunday, January 13, 2013
Only low life, but watch they will get off in a year, so they can do it again.
Nicole
2:35 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
10 years for a baby's life? Wtf! They should get life. That just makes me sick!!
Carol A. Wilson
2:40 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Why would you give these low life individuals any freedom; they didnt give any to their baby , did they? Let them rot in prison for this inhumane crime.
Joseph Fekete
2:40 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
The Stateof New Jersey should never have agreed to dismissing the child endangerment. and drug possession charges .
William J Moss
2:44 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
10 years not enough.
Melissa Thomson
2:54 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Are you going to tell me at 35 and 37 they didn't know better??? Just disgusting.
.
3:54 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
They didn't know enough at that age not to use heroin.....did they? The sad thing is that they should never have had a child to begin with. They don't deserve to live.
common sense
2:58 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
They should both be force-feed the same drugs until they both OD!!
proud
3:12 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Quite likely they would not have to be forced. Very sad.
none of yobusiness
3:01 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
May their souls burn forever in Hell! The lowest form of life.
jill dienemann
3:02 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
what is wrong with Ocean county /state prosecutors office, letting them take a plea? they didnt need that to win the case, the toxicology tests proved it....the thr f*$@#! is wrong with them? a babys life is worth only 8 years all said and done? I am so disgusted with the justice in this country it is sickening....people should start taking up arms!!!!!
Kim Anderson
4:41 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
People complain about taxes being so high and big government. Do you know how much taking a case like this all the way to trial costs? Then appeals? Millions. Those people are going to have a miserable, horrible life whether they are in prison or on the streets. Do you want to pay taxes? Do you want to pay for that trial? I'd venture to guess not. Taking up arms is SUCH a good idea.
just me
3:13 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
10 years with 85 % served br parole? they'll be in jail less than 5 years!!!!
ed crowley
12:11 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013
The 85 percent rule would require 81/2 years. Hope you were just having a bad math day.
kimmy
3:23 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Giving an infant heroin is no different than killing him by any other means. Had they shot him, would they have gotten more than ten years? This is sickening. There are so many childless couples who would have gladly adopted this boy and given him love...if they gave him heroin they obviously didn't care about him and should have given him up.
MM
3:55 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
This is unthinkable! Kill a baby and only get 10 years. How can the prosecutor praise the hard work of the police and throw all that hard work out the window by accepting such a stupid plea bargain!!
.
3:56 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Shouldn't "no early release" mean to serve 100% of time?
Jack
4:00 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Why would they possibly plea bargain this?
The prosecuter get's her win and keeps her conviction rate up and the only price is this subhuman trash will walk free in 10 years after deliberately shoving heroine in a babies mouth!
The prosecuter should be fired.
Jerry Belle
5:07 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
I can only think of the State's difficult ability to prove intent to kill the baby as the reason to offer the plea bargain. In the old days, and even now I would venture, some still use whiskey, bourbon, or scotch on their finger and rub it to sooth an infant while they are teething... some parents don't have the education to be parents and rely on old wives tales and myths... sad.
ELAINE
5:12 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
THEY SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN NO PLEA BARAGIN AT ALL THEY KILLED THEIR SON AND INHIBITED DRUGS WHAT A CRIME AND ALL THEY GET MAYBE IS 10 YEARS WHICH WILL BE OUTR IN 5 YEARS . SICK SOB'S.
ed crowley
12:16 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013
The 85 percent rule will keep them there for eight and half years. Try reading the article again. Deals are done when there is doubt of conviction and for cost reasons.
Resident
5:15 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
In the words of Forest Gump. Stupid is as stupid does. These two jackasses should be sterilized.
bazooka joe
7:50 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
Casey anthony killed her kid and didnt get a damn thing
Captain Ed
5:51 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
How much more horrible can two people be?
I say kill them and call it a day. Freaking animals.
Ashley
6:02 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Only 10 years?? That's sickening.
barbara
6:15 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Parents? Monsters,dirtbags, scumbags more like it. they dont deserve to be called parents. drop child endangerment and drop drug posession charges for a plea? 10 years for killing this poor child? WTF is wrong with this picture? Unbelievable.......
Craig
6:38 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
These scumbags should be put to death..if they weren't so worried about being junkies they could have went to a doctor and just get tylenol. It just goes to show that seaside is just riddled with low life scumbags... if I was the cop I would have lost my job for extreme assault and killed one. if of them douchebags..
Rosalinda Russo Tamke
6:46 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Sick people, stupid people doing that to a baby. No doubt they were supported by the State of New Jersey and the State of New Jersey will continue to support them.
Newsy
6:48 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
How could the prosecutor dismiss the child endangerment and drug possession charges when that is exactly what they did and had, respectively. They were too stupid to think they could kill their child because they were always high on it themselves! Most have knocked 10 years off their sentence I suppose. Even more ridiculous.
Callingyouout
6:53 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Agreed. Literally unbelievable.
Margie
6:58 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Did someone reject my post ? If so, why? There was nothing volger.. I atleast blocked the curses. Those f*@#*&^ ppl gonna get out of jail in 7 yrs and have another baby and do the same thing again. This state lets ppl get away with the worst sh!t and go to prisonFor stupid things
ed crowley
12:18 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013
Eight and a half try doing the math again.
Margie
7:07 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Or something. . My god that innocent lil boy. His own parents didn't love him enough to protect him from themselves
Sonia Fagg
7:28 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
I can only think they did this out of sheer stupidity. At one time paregoric was used to rub on a baby's gums when it was teething and it wasn't until years later that they found out it wasn't a good thing to do. Maybe these parents didn't realize what harm it could do and thought they were helping him. Not that I'm making excuses for them, just a thought.
Sandra
8:15 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
At least no taxpayer money will be further spent to help the parents while they work the judicial system. Why rape the public? They already killed a helpless trusting infant. No conscious, no doubt and will just be another statistic in the prison system. More money spent too.
Candice
8:48 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
I've known people who have gotten more time in jail just for putting drugs into themselves...and at least then they're mostly just killing themselves (although that doesn't sound quite right I think people should get what I mean) and only ten years for killing your own child...plus 3 free meals a day and a free place to live...bring back the needle, you take a life you lose yours an eye for an eye...just horrible
Tom C
9:33 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
Adoption is impossible unless you have a spare $30,000 laying around. Middle class people cant afford adoption, shameful. As for these 2, what can I say. Garbage seems to have no trouble getting preggers.
kim
11:21 pm on Thursday, January 10, 2013
10 years are u kidding??? 10 years?? That's a shame murder is murder life in prison
Da Gr8 1
12:04 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
only in jersey and everyone wonders why we are the butt of every national joke
crime stopper
7:55 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
This is a shame. A lil boy is dead n the so called parents gets only 10 yrs. Well that is not enough. The courts needs to get better on this. He was 2 and with no say in this. Where is the family for this boy. Grandparnets, Aunts, Uncles so called friends. Someone anyone. Are you all that stupid as to not help. Maybe they to need to pay for this. To many people doing this drug or selling it. Having thier kids involved for what. So they can go to jail also. What kind of roll madels is this. NONE. Courts need to crack down more on this. SET EXAMPLES. If the adults want to kill themselves so be it but why the kids. Give them a chance to a normal life.
WMS826
8:11 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
Quick..rebuild affordable housing in seaside.
Sterilize these two is item one.
Some liberal democrat wants home inspections and psychological exams of gun owners, how about one for those taking children out of a hospital after birth. All I needed was a car seat and no questions asked. But buy a gun and suddenly my home is subject to illegal search and siezure.
Johnjcpa
8:29 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
You don't want an exam to own a gun but you do want an exam to keep your child?
I guess you're right, nothing in the constitution about the right to bear children.
To be effective, your procreation exam really needs to be given before sex, avoids so many issues that way.
Lenaki
8:50 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
Eye for an Eye!!! Death for a Death !!!! NJ and all states should have the death penalty. If you choose to take someones life then your life should be taken!!! Then lets see how our crime rate goes down in the U.S.A. !!!
ed crowley
12:22 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013
What do you say to those who have been proven innocent after conviction?
Mom of 6
9:38 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
Too bad Jersey doesn't have the death penalty anymore! Sick!
billy jones
10:35 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
Ok I can see whiskey on his gums puts the child to sleep and takes away the pain. That what I grew up on and what I used for my own kids. But heroin.... Thats crazy. I still think that some people are going a little overboard with the death penalty. Come on get a grip.
Catsfin
11:35 am on Friday, January 11, 2013
Why doesn't Patch put up a pic of these 2? There is certainly a pic plus a whole lot of personal info on Patch's news about Sue Rogers / and her case seems like a domestic dispute - not a chelds death!
MyTown
6:15 pm on Friday, January 11, 2013
They will be out in 8 yrs and living off Free Health Care, Free Housing,Get a Free Cell phone,Free Food Stamps etc. And put us in more debt on when will the left be stopped?
fed up
3:49 pm on Saturday, January 12, 2013
I agree. At least they will not be able to vote any longer.
Russell Stewart
1:04 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013
If they had the money for heroin...why couldn't they spend a few bucks on baby orajel? Wtf? And only getting 10 years for murder? I'm sorry..if I murdered my child...I would've plead guilty & did my time! (Not that I would ever kill anyone especially my family) This is a messed up world...they should have never been offered a deal whatsoever!
Edith
9:23 am on Monday, January 14, 2013
Great job Steve and Carlos now that baby can rest in peace. Those parents should get the same death the baby got.
Robert Costello
2:27 pm on Monday, February 18, 2013
I have no problem with the ten years sentence. Even if they get out in 102 months, the other parents in jail will make that time seem longer.
They should be sterilized on top of the time served.