111 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
White Plains, NY 10601
Tel: (914) 995-3586
Fax: (914) 995-2116
June 17, 2014 -- Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that an indictment was unsealed today against Lacey Spears (DOB 10/16/87) of 247 Travis Road, Scottsville, Kentucky charging her with:
- one count of Depraved Murder in the Second Degree, a class “A” Felony,
- one count of Manslaughter in the First Degree, a class “B” Felony.
relating to the death of her 5-year-old son.
On Jan. 23, 2014, Garnett-Paul Spears, a 5-year-old male child was declared dead at the Westchester Medical Center.
The child had been transferred to WMC from Nyack Hospital in Rockland County on Jan. 19, 2014 by Medivac helicopter when without any medical explanation his sodium level rose from 144 to 182 meq/L, - milliequivalents per liter - an extremely dangerous level of sodium.
The normal range of serum sodium in the blood is 135-145 meq/L.
The child’s diagnosis was acute hypernatremia.
The defendant provided the medical staff with a medical history for her son, including extensive medical visits, hospitalizations and invasive surgical procedures. This history coupled with an unexplained rise in his sodium levels at Nyack Hospital prompted the doctors at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of the WMC to suspect Lacey Spears of harming her son prompting their call to the New York State Office of Children and Family Services – launching an investigation.
On Friday, Jan. 17, 2014, the defendant brought the victim to Nyack Hospital reporting seizure activity and he is admitted to rule out seizures.
On Sunday, Jan. 19, 2014 at 10:08 p.m. the victim is airlifted to Westchester Medical Center and admitted.
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2014, at 7:15 a.m. the code bell goes off. Medical staff respond.
The child is on his back, unresponsive, and barely breathing, both pupils were blown, he was pale gray in color.
At 11:57 a.m. the head of the Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit calls in a Child Protective Services report to the State Central Register.
At 12:00 p.m. an EEG showed electro cerebral silence.
During the victim’s stay in both hospitals, the defendant shared the room with him.
Based on the CPS call and referral to law enforcement, an investigation immediately commenced.
Search warrants are executed on the Spears’ residence.
On Thursday, Jan. 23, 2014, Garnett Spears is declared deceased.
The defendant surrendered today to the Westchester County police pursuant to a warrant.
The defendant was remanded.
Her next court appearance will be on July 2, 2014.
She faces a maximum sentence of twenty-five years to life in prison.
Assistant District Attorney Doreen Lloyd, Acting Chief of the Child Abuse Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Christine Hatfield, Deputy Chief of the Child Abuse Bureau are prosecuting the case.
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In compliance with Disciplinary Rule 7-107A of the Code of Professional Responsibility, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
