One very sad story: Mom confesses to killing autistic child

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080111/ap_on_re_us/autistic_girl_killed_1

Mom confesses to killing autistic child

Fri Jan 11, 1:43 PM ET

A mother distraught over dealing with her 3-year-old daughter's autism said in

a videotaped confession played in court that she suffocated the child with a

plastic bag, hoping to " fix her " and give her peace in heaven.

The toddler had scratch marks on the sides of her head and bite marks were

found inside her mouth and on the garbage bag as she apparently attempted to

free herself, according to testimony in the murder trial of McCarron.

McCarron told investigators in the taped confession played Thursday that she

wrapped the white plastic bag around little 's head as the child played

with toys on the floor at the home of McCarron's mother.

" I didn't wake up that morning thinking I was going to do this, " McCarron said

on the video, calling her actions a " spur of the moment " idea. " It was just so

fast. Everything happened so fast. "

McCarron, 39, a former pathologist, made the confession on May 15, 2006, two

days after she allegedly killed , police said. The confession was taken

while McCarron was a patient at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria after

attempting suicide, investigators said.

Wearing a hospital gown, she appears sitting on a bed next to her husband,

McCarron.

" Maybe I could fix her this way, and in heaven she would be complete, " she

said.

McCarron has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to murder,

obstructing justice and concealment of a homicidal death. She has been found

mentally fit to stand trial, but a medical expert hired by her attorneys has

said McCarron was insane at the time of the killing.

Prosecutors rested their case Thursday after testimony from forensic

pathologist Violette Hnilica, who performed the autopsy on 's body.

The child had teeth marks on the insides of her lips, a bite mark on her tongue

and signs of pressure against her mouth, Hnilica testified. also had

scratch marks on the sides of her head which were likely self-inflicted as she

struggled to remove the bag from her face, Hnilica said.

died one to four minutes after her oxygen was cut off, Hnilica said.

McCarron said on the videotape that she took her daughter's body back to

her own house and put her in bed. She then went to the store, bought ice cream

and returned to her mother's home to get the garbage bag because, " if things get

bad, their house would be searched. "

Interviewers asked McCarron if she knew what she did was criminally wrong.

" I have enough education to know that, " she answered.

McCarron told police she felt like a failure because of the child's autism and

was heartbroken when she failed at simple tasks.

She said she began having thoughts of hurting the child a year before the

slaying but put them out of her mind. On the day of the killing, though, the

thoughts were stronger than ever, according to the videotaped confession.

" They were so intense, " she said.

McCarron said she couldn't accept her daughter's autism, felt like a failure

because of it and was sad and hurt because the child couldn't interact with her

very well.

" I loved very much, but I hated the autism so, so much, " McCarron said. " I

hated what it was doing to her. ... I just wanted autism out of my life. "

Copyright © 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The

information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast,

rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated

Press.

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