Mother Charged With Injecting Fecal Matter Into Son

Mother Charged With Injecting Fecal Matter Into Son

McMullen Former Nurse At Children's Hospital

POSTED: 12:17 am EDT July 15, 2005
UPDATED: 8:47 pm EDT July 15, 2005

BEAR, Del. -- A Bear woman has been charged with trying to poison her 22-month-old son by injecting feces into his bloodstream.

New Castle County police have charged 29-year-old Stephanie McMullen with assault by abuse or neglect, recklessly charging serious physical injury to a child and first-degree reckless endangering. McMullen is being held on $27,000 bond.

McMullen is a former nurse at A.I. duPont Hospital for Children. She's accused of deliberately injecting fecal matter into her son, causing the toddler to be hospitalized numerous times.

Police said they learned about the boy once doctors who had treated him stepped forward, NBC 10 News reported.

The toddler had been hospitalized on six different occasions for serious medical conditions since he was approximately 4 months old. According to court records, the toddler suffered fevers, diarrhea, dehydration and vomiting.

Police said they found needles and confiscated McMullen's computer. Investigators said they learned about several inquiries on search engines for child poisoning. On at least two occasions, the child was hospitalized just days after the searches.

Police said the child's father knew nothing about the alleged abuse, and is not a suspect in the crime. The child is currently in foster care.

Police said the incident is a case of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, a pattern of behavior in which caretakers deliberately try to create health problems in others.

"It's absolutely disgusting ... that somebody or any parent would do this to a child," said one neighbor.

McMullen's attorney, Woody Eveland, said the charges are unfounded.

"We've conducted numerous depositions, at which point each of the doctors at A.I. duPont Hospital have had to admit they have absolutely no objective evidence that she's done this in any way, shape or form," he said.

Related Story:
July 15, 2005: Munchausen By Proxy Is Psychiatric Problem

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