BANGOR, Maine — Former Orono police Detective Andrew Whitehouse told a jury Monday morning that Lynn Crossman admitted to hitting her 9-month-old son on the leg for crying while she was arguing with her parents on the phone in November 2010.
The baby was treated for a broken leg and Crossman, 24, of Orono is standing trial for felony aggravated assault. If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.
Her son “Eric David starting crying. She couldn’t get him to stop crying,” the former detective, who now works for Penobscot County Sheriff’s Department, said of the baby. “She was very upset.”
While telling the detective her story, Crossman used an open palm to strike her leg repeatedly, Whitehouse said, giving the jury a physical demonstration of her action.
Striking the 9-month-old “did not stop the baby from crying,” the detective said, adding that Crossman told the officer she was so mad she had to leave the room.
Crossman was on the phone with her parents, who live out of state, and she was arguing with them over money, Whitehouse said.
The baby was taken to the emergency room at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor on Nov. 6, 2010, with a broken left femur and bruising, including hand prints that are a “classic injury” in child abuse cases, Dr. Kathryn Ruthledge testified.
The baby’s mother initially said he rolled off a bed two days beforehand, which was not consistent with his injuries, said Ruthledge, who is an EMMC pediatric hospitalist, a specialist called in whenever a child abuse case is suspected for children under the age of 21 months.
Crossman changed her story when confronted by Whitehouse.
In addition to police, a representative from the Department of Health and Human Services was called and the baby initially was placed in the agency’s custody when Crossman was charged, Orono police Capt. Josh Ewing said at the time of her arrest.
Defense Attorney Stephen Smith asked that all references to the ongoing DHHS case not be admitted, which was agreed upon by Superior Court Justice John Nivison, who is hearing the trial.
The case is being tried at the Penobscot Judicial Center in Bangor and is expected to end Tuesday after the state calls Dr. Lawrence “Larry” Ricci of Portland, who is considered one of the state’s foremost medical experts on child abuse.
Where the baby, now just over 2 years of age, and his older brother, who is around 3 ½ years old, are now living was not released during Monday’s trial and was something Assistant District Attorney Alice Clifford, who is prosecuting the case, declined to discuss after Monday’s afternoon court session was over.
Monday’s morning session ended with Smith grilling Whitehouse about why the detective didn’t interview Crossman’s numerous roommates or the father of the baby until after she was arrested.
Whitehouse said “given the confession and the demonstration [by Crossman]” and “the injury that was reported at the hospital,” the detective said he felt confident in arresting Crossman for aggravated assault.
Crossman told Ruthledge there was nothing wrong with her son when she put him to bed at around 6 p.m. on Nov. 5, 2010, or when he woke up at around 7:30 a.m. and was changed and given a bottle and went back to sleep. It was at around 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 6, 2010 that Crossman first noticed swelling on her son’s small leg and called a relative who is an emergency medical technician, Ruthledge told jurors.
When Eric David’s father got home from work, Crossman informed him of the leg swelling and went off to work but she wasn’t there long because the boy’s father called about an hour into her shift saying their child had to go to the hospital, Ruthledge and Whitehouse said, recalling what Crossman told them.
When Whitehouse told Crossman the evidence didn’t match her story, “I asked her if anything else happened,” the detective said. “I noticed she started to become upset. Her eyes started to swell with tears.”
After telling Whitehouse about the argument with her parents, “she indicated to me she hit him in the leg.”
When Whitehouse placed Crossman into handcuffs, Catherine Dawson, a social worker who was in the same room, heard the mother say she was confused.
“She said she didn’t understand because she only hit him a couple times,” the social worker said.
???
Yeah, punishment will do the trick. Often these mothers are former victims of the same rough treatment they visit on their children. Generations of teaching that “punishment” is the cure for any form of unwanted behavior. “Punishment” is what got us to this point. Insanity is doing the same thing again and again, and expecting different results.
What would you suggest, put here in the corner for 15 minutes? Still a punishment….
I believe in consequences. Make her a better mother that’s win win. Less taxpayer cash, and a attached child.
If you put the mother (or father) in jail, you run the risk of alienating the very child you are attempting to help. Sometimes jail is the answer, in this particular case, I would try another route.
I happen to agree with you on this subject. Yes she may never be a “GOOD” mother but with help maybe she do a better job. Most his will fair no better in foster care. The stories I have herd in my life about people being abused in foster care is scary. Most foster care parents do not abuse Kids but odds go up very much for his tossed in many different homes. Also most foster homes do not have the love or bonding that takes place at an early age, Then when you consider the prosecution or lack of rate of abusive foster parents that is covered up by DHS . Its is scary. I can not help but disagree with authority a lot of the time call it my INPT personailty lol.
Even more than the possible abuse is the uncertainty. Foster children wake up in the middle of the night, and can’t find the light switch. they forget where the bathroom is located. They don’t know the house routine, where are the adults?
Some of the teenagers I fostered had been in 20 different homes in fewer than 7 years. Some called me by their former foster parents name. They don’t know if they should bow their heads before meals, pick up their own plates, or even sit with the adults. They are constantly on edge wiating for the first big mistake, the first embarrassment, or the next move. Some don’t even unpack the ubiquitous green garbage bags which they use to cart around their stuff.
Maine has a long history of ignoring abuse. If a man beats his wife and she leaves him and they have kids the courts force the woman to deal with him so he can see his kids. If the guy beats his ex or current wife in front of the kids the courts will not remove the fathers parental rights. If you get a father who is not well employed the courts will not even impose supervised visitation as is would cost the father money. Far far to many females are killed in Maine by there husbands or ex’s. This case is one of far to many. This also was not a matter of abuse as must as a incident. The children where removed and placed in foster care. I am by no means excusing the woman but this is a massive problem in Maine. Until the courts impose sanctions and the gov makes laws to protect both woman and children it will continue. Anybody who wants more information contact Next Step here in Maine.
there are somethings that are still up in the air…i am not gonna make any judgements yet…some things just do not match up .
All you need to know is she hit her child hard enough to break the leg. That should leave nothing up on the air for you. How did she think that would stop her child from crying? Hope he will not be in her care again.
just saying there is stuff i know that most people on here don’t i was there this morning
Yeah, he will be so much better in the foster care system where over 60% of children will (as adults) wind up in prison, a mental health facility, or homeless.
Education of the mother is a better choice. Send an aid to the house daily to check on the child, and teach the mother how to do it right.
If every one of the 100+ children you fostered were abused in some fashion, I think they were better off in your care then the abusers.
No matter how abused they were, no matter how mean their parents were, they all loved their mothers and wished they could live with two parents. Children need their families. Other (non-family) folks do not have the information needed to understand some things.
If a child is grumpy all the time, that puts off some foster parents, while within his own family someone will say; “Remember uncle Al, he was grumpy all the time too, and he grew up to be a successful News caster.” It’s the linkage… necessary to raise individuals, not a herd of children. Children NEED the anchor of families, not just parents, but aunt Martha who tells funny stories about ma when she was small, and Grandma Sophie who has pictures of the farm where dad was raised.
One defective link should not break the chain.
I agree. My wife and I have 4 daughters (all girls;-) age 12 to 2. My wife and I have never been married to anyone besides each other. We don’t fight (no more then any loving couple), and you can see that in our girls. They’re smart, happy, and outgoing. But going to my girls multiple after school activities, you can pick out the children being raised in broken homes. It is sad. Hats off to you, Harry.
I love that you said that. It really does not matter how horribly a child is abused, they do still almost always want to be with their biological parents. I see this all the time. A loving foster home is a great thing but it is still difficult to replace a loving family. Sad that children have to endure such things. It is also sad that the resources to help families learn the skills they did not learn as children are so limited. I truly believe that most parents do love their children and do the best they can with what they have, but I am also thankful that there are loving foster homes such as yours to help those children who cannot get the care and attention they need at home. Thank you for the incredibly hard work that you do.
I’m still disagreeing with you today, Harry.
Have *you* ever been abused? Particularly by a parent?
That is none of your business. I’m not from the facebook generation.
I know the DHHS system well having worked in it for over 10 years. I agree it is a MESS ! But, I have also worked as a MHRT I, a person who goes into the home to work with parents to educate them -and sadly find that -that has just as many downfalls. Teaching someone how to do it RIGHT seldom happens. Especially during the hours and specialist can’t be in the home. It ususally turns out to be little more than a babysitting service billed to the taxpayers.
The sad fact is . Some people should not have children.
I also have done this work—had to stop, as seeing children abused was just a little to much for me–Some people are simply unteachable, and I will agree that there are mother’s, and then there are women that give birth!
I was not on the jury . Did a slap break the childs leg? We need all the facts before we can decide that one.
Didn’t you read the article? She confessed and demonstrated.
yeah because the news has a awesome track record of telling it like it is
What is still up in the air? What doesn’t match up?
Ohh the police likely tortured the poor woman nearly to death to get a false confession from her and then showed her how to demonstrate the way ¨she¨ had injured her child. It is all a conspiracy against this poor mother. They also forced the womans mother to lie about what her daughter told her over the phone.
Of course we all know that is not true. It is very hard to understand what the poster meant when they said things were still up in the air.
Yeah, that HAS to be it!
Hard to read any type of story about a mother hurting her own child. Goes against nature and human comprehension. Hope she is punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Actually it does not “go against nature” mothers abuse children in greater numbers than any other human category.
Exactly. It would be interesting to see the figures on child abuse and to see which parent makes up the majority of those that abuse.
Why would numbers make a difference? So men do it 14.73 % more than women or women do it 21.769% more than men. Abuse is abuse is abuse. How could the fact that women might do it MORE than men make anyone feel better about it?
Because if it was a man, women would want the laws changed and all men hung, Thats why..
Man or woman, all should hang. I do see your point though.
Instead, it is you, a male, gloating over the fact it was a woman. It was a baby who was hurt: why gloat?
Geez lady, this is why people should put their brain in gear before engaging their typing finger.
I have had over 100 children living with me throughout the last 43 years. ALL; That’s right ALL of these children experienced some form of abuse in their short lives. Broken legs, broken arms, emotional trauma, dashed spirits.
If you for a minute believe that anything I say on this subject is “gloating” you need to take an English course, then read again what you wrote, and my response.
Men are more often the perpetrators when a child is killed through abuse, but women commit the lion’s share of abuse.
Yeah, I’m a man, so sue me. One thing I will say is I ‘m pretty sure I have washed more clothing, cleaned up more vomit, and told more bedtime stories than you.
I didn’t reply to you. I replied to David.
penny4urthots said it “goes against nature” I disagreed.
Harry, I didn’t say that. I think you somehow got turned around reading the postings here. penny4urthots made the comment about it going against nature, not I.
You responded to it. I have corrected the post
We would all like to believe it goes against nature . It is easier to for some people to feel that way than to think about it . Different people see things differently . For some people it is A lot easier to think with feelings than facts. Harry is right on the money on this one. Even though we do not always agree.
I agree with you. It absolutely is against nature, despite what Harry will try to tell you.
When a parent abuses their child, they violate the most sacred trust we ever have, a trust you’re born with. Ask me how I know.
Don’t let this person around children again. This part really bothers me:
“She said she didn’t understand because she only hit him a couple times,”
It’s not okay to hit a child even once.
Sad and evil at the same time.
So hitting the crying baby didn’t make him stop crying? Wow…who knew?
I hope she never gets to see her kid again
Does anyone here even remember the concept of innocent until proven guilty??
apperantly not…yeah for more lose of rights
Did you not read that she confessed???
Confession or not, she’s on TRIAL. Hence, innocent till proven guilty.
An admission of guilt is, to me, as good as a guilty verdict.
Agreed!
now a days it is guilty untill you prove YOURSELF innocent !
It’s a great concept but it just isn’t that way. Your are guilty until you prove yourself to be innocent.
Not in this case, no–She confessed to slapping this little baby hard enough to break a tiny leg!!–Sorry to say, my suggestion would be to “slap” this woman’s leg until it breaks!! Just maybe, she would feel the agony this baby felt as his little leg was slapped until it broke–Because she was having a bad day??–Right!
Now we are politically correct.
I read just about half of this story. Makes me sick. Poor helpless, defenseless baby. Breaks my heart.
That poor little baby. I hope he will be too young to remember. The person he looked to for love and comfort hurt him the most.
It doesn’t sound like her main goal was to hurt the baby. Her main problem was bad stress management.
Just because her intentions weren’t to hurt the child it doesn’t mean she shouldn’t pay for doing so.
True. My point is that it may be beneficial to have some education about stress management.
Guilty by whose standards? Are you now the judge and jury? Sit in a court of law sometime and hear the evidence before you make up your mind. In today’s society, everything is played out the papers not the courtroom.