TRUMBULL COUNTY 3 babies victims of murder, not SIDS, pathologist says

The forensic expert said she thinks three of the children died because of asphyxia.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Multiple deaths in one family attributed to sudden infant death syndrome are not natural, a medical expert says.
Dr. Janice Ophoven, a forensic pathologist from Minnesota, testified Thursday during a hearing in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court that she thinks three of Gloria Greenfield's children were murdered.
"There has never been a proven multiple SIDS case in the same family," Dr. Ophoven said. "Multiple deaths of infants in one family has been found to be serial killings by the mother."
She said she believes Greenfield's children died because of asphyxia.
Greenfield, 52, of Robbins Avenue, Niles, is charged with three counts of first-degree murder. She has pleaded innocent.
She is accused of killing her three infant children: Melissa in 1969, Theodore II in 1970 and Regina Woods in 1971. At the times of their deaths, the coroner ruled the children died of natural causes.
The Trumbull County Coroner's office changed the causes of death earlier this year: Regina and Theodore's are now being attributed to asphyxia and Melissa's is listed as undetermined. All three have been ruled homicides.
Dr. Ophoven noted during the hearing that the three infants had blood on them or blood at the scene of their death. "SIDS and blood don't go together," Dr. Ophoven said.
She also said that in most SIDS cases, the infant has small pinpoint bleeding on the thymus -- which is located in the neck. She said this was not noticed on any of Greenfield's children when the autopsies were performed.
What defense seeks
Attys. Anthony Consoldane and James Lewis, Greenfield's legal counsel, asked for Thursday's hearing because they want the judge to prohibit Dr. Ophoven from testifying during Greenfield's February trial.
Consoldane and Lewis said Ophoven is presenting only a theory and not medical facts.
Judge Andrew Logan said he will review the testimony and issue a decision in about two weeks.
Judge Logan also noted that a hearing will be conducted Thursday to determine if two other charges of assault with intent to kill should be dismissed. Greenfield is accused of trying to kill another daughter, Gloria Bennight, when Bennight was 44 days old and again when she was 80 days old.
Bennight, now 30, called attention to the case when she contacted the coroner's office seeking information about her siblings' deaths.
Lewis and Consoldane also said that the two assault charges should be dismissed because the law mandates that all felonies other than murder must be tried within a six-year period.
The motion states that according to the indictment, the assaults took place April 25, 1972, and May 31, 1972.
sinkovich@vindy.com