DA says Wis. girl's diabetic death was 'needless'

[samanthajane13]

By ROBERT IMRIE, Associated Press Writer Robert Imrie, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 8 mins ago

WAUSAU, Wis. – Prosecutors in the homicide trial of a Wisconsin mother accused of praying instead of seeking medical attention for her diabetic daughter say the girl suffered and died needlessly.

Assistant District Attorney LaMont Jacobson said in opening statements Saturday that the case isn't about religion, but about 11-year-old Madeline Neumann's "needless suffering and death."

Authorities say 41-year-old Leilani Neumann of Weston and her husband Dale believed the girl's illness was a "test of faith." They're charged with second-degree reckless homicide in the 2008 death.

An autopsy found Madeline died from undiagnosed diabetes, which meant she had too little insulin.

If convicted, Neumann faces up to 25 years in prison.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090516/...s_prayer_death

[samanthajane13]

By ROBERT IMRIE, Associated Press Writer Robert Imrie, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 2 mins ago

WAUSAU, Wis. – A mother accused of rejecting medical treatment and relying on prayer as her 11-year-old daughter died of untreated diabetes believed people got sick because they sinned, a former friend and Bible study partner said Tuesday at the woman's homicide trial.

Althea Wormgoor and her husband described praying with Leilani Neumann and her family in Madeline Neumann's last hours, a scene that turned to chaos and tearful pleas to heaven when the girl stopped breathing.

Leilani Neumann also attributed sickness to demons, Wormgoor testified. She said that when one of her sons got sick, Neumann thought his vomiting was to rid his body of demons.

"That was a little much," Wormgoor testified.

Neumann, 41, has been charged with second-degree reckless homicide in her daughter Madeline's March 23, 2008, death at the family's rural Weston home.

Prosecutors contend a reasonable parent would have known something was gravely wrong with Madeline, who had become so weak she couldn't walk or talk. They say Neumann recklessly killed her daughter by praying instead of rushing her to a doctor. The defense has said she and her husband, who is awaiting trial, didn't know how sick their daughter was until it was too late.

Wormgoor told a Marathon County jury that Neumann didn't believe in doctors or medicine.

"Basically, you pray and do nothing but pray," she said. Wormgoor added, however, that Neumann once asked her for an aspirin.

Wormgoor, who has four children, testified that her family moved from California to Wisconsin in January 2008 to start a second coffee business with the Neumanns and participate in their weekly Bible studies. The Neumanns also had lived in California, and the families had known each other for years.

But Wormgoor said that by March 2008, she and her husband had realized they disagreed with the Neumanns about the business and faith healing.

Wormgoor said she would not have let one of her daughters get as sick as Madeline without getting medical help.

"I believe he (God) can heal anything, anyone if he so chooses, but that is not our decision," she said. "It is his decision. Prayer absolutely helps."

Wormgoor said she and her family went to the Neumanns' home the day Madeline died. Leilani Neumann had urged them to come, saying Madeline was on the floor, not talking, eating or drinking, she said.

The Wormgoors prayed with the Neumanns. Leilani Neumann raised her hands in the air, calling her daughter's illness a test of faith and a chance for God to show his power, Wormgoor said.

"'Oh Lord, you can heal diabetes. You can heal cancer,'" Wormgoor said Neumann prayed. "'I am praying that God is going to bring her back from this and make her 10 times better.'"

After about five minutes of prayer, Leilani Neumann indicated her daughter appeared better than the previous night, her breathing stronger, Wormgoor said.

Suddenly, Madeline's mouth "twitched," she said.

"To me, it looked like she was gasping for air," Wormgoor said. "It was a twitch that scared me. You are telling me, is she getting better? But right then I am not seeing it. I panicked."

Wormgoor rushed to call 911, but her husband got to a phone first and made the call.

Randall Wormgoor testified that he had urged Neumann's husband, Dale, to take Madeline to a hospital.

"I said, 'Dale, if that was my daughter, I would be taking her to a doctor," Randall Wormgoor said. "He said at some point, 'Don't you think it has crossed my mind.'"

Randall Wormgoor said he tried to reason with Dale Neumann, saying God worked through doctors just as the Neumanns worked through their coffee business to try to do their ministry. But then chaos broke out as word spread that Madeline was not breathing.

Randall Wormgoor said he went back to where Madeline had been on the floor.

"I saw Dale sort of on his knees, holding her, saying 'Jesus, Jesus' in a mournful, crying tone," he testified.

Efforts to revive the girl were unsuccessful.

If convicted, Leilani Neumann faces up to 25 years in prison. Dale Neumann also has been charged with second-degree reckless homicide. His trial is set for July.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090519/...s_prayer_death

[samanthajane13]

Mom Guilty of Letting Sick Daughter Die
By ROBERT IMRIE, AP

WAUSAU, Wis. (May 22) - A mother accused of praying instead of seeking medical help for her dying 11-year-old daughter was found guilty Friday of second-degree reckless homicide.

A Marathon County jury deliberated for about 3 1/2 hours before convicting Leilani Neumann, 41, of Weston. She faces up to 25 years in prison, but no sentencing date had been set.

Neumann's daughter, Madeline, died from untreated diabetes on March 23, 2008, surrounded by people praying for her. When she stopped breathing, her parents' business and Bible study partners finally called 911.

Prosecutors contend a reasonable parent would have known something was gravely wrong with Madeline and that her mother recklessly killed her by ignoring obvious symptoms, such as her inability to walk or talk.

During closing arguments, Marathon County District Attorney Jill Falstad described Neumann as a religious zealot who let her daughter, called Kara by her parents, die as a test of faith.

"Basic medical care would have saved Kara's life — fluids and insulin," Falstad said. "There was plenty of time to save Kara's life."

Defense attorney Gene Linehan said Neumann didn't realize her daughter was so ill and did all she could do to help, in line with the family's belief in faith-healing.

He said Neumann was a devout Christian and took good care of her four children.

"The woman did everything she could to help her," Linehan said. "That is the injustice in this case."

She remained free on bond. Neumann's husband, Dale, faces the same charge and was scheduled to stand trial in July.


http://news.aol.com/article/prayer-d...death%2F486303

[RaVeN71806]

please I'll give that lawyer "injustice"..this girl would be alive today if it wasn't for her parent's neglectfulness..I'm sorry god doesn't save you from diabete's insulin does and a right diet does..these people aren't good christians in my eyes..they killed there child not saved her...these people make me sick..

[samanthajane13]

Wis. man testifies he expected God to heal child

By ROBERT IMRIE, Associated Press Writer Robert Imrie, Associated Press Writer – 2 hrs 25 mins ago

WAUSAU, Wis. – A central Wisconsin man charged with killing his daughter by praying instead of taking her to a doctor read from the Bible while testifying Thursday that he couldn't seek medical help without disobeying God.

"I can't do that because Biblically, I cannot find that is the way people are healed," Dale Neumann told the jury. "If I go to the doctor, I am putting the doctor before God. I am not believing what he said he would do."

God promises in the Bible to heal, Neumann said: "For that to take place in our lives, we have to live on God's instruction."

Neumann, 47, is charged with second-degree reckless homicide in the March 23, 2003, death of his 11-year-old daughter, Madeline, from undiagnosed diabetes. Prosecutors say he should have taken the girl to a hospital because she couldn't walk, talk, eat or speak.

Instead, Madeline died on the floor of the family's rural Weston home as people surrounded her and prayed.

Her father was the last person to testify in his trial. Closing arguments are scheduled for Friday morning.

Neumann, who once studied to be a Pentecostal minister, preached to the jury about his faith in God's healing powers and cried out like he was talking to the Lord. He said he has been a born-again Christian since 1982.

He said the Holy Spirit once instructed him to burn two books in his library and he did, ending 10 years of back pain a chiropractor had treated unsuccessfully.

"It was a spiritual cause of a physical ailment," Neumann said.

He testified he thought Madeline had the flu or perhaps a fever but never expected her die. He thought she was in a deep sleep but not unconscious, even though her breathing was labored.

At one point in his nearly four hours of testimony, Neumann cried and nearly whispered to the jury.

"Who am I to predict death when death is an appointed time for all of us?" he asked.

Doctors testified earlier in the trial that Madeline would have had a good chance of surviving if she received medical treatment, including insulin and fluids, before she stopped breathing.

Earlier Thursday, a woman who prayed with the Neumanns and helped give Madeline a sponge bath hours before she died testified she thought the girl had the flu.

"She looked a little pale. I could see that she was weak," Lynn Wilde told the jury. "She would respond when we would call her name. She would make noises. She moved her head."

Wilde, a loyal member of Neumann's Bible study group, testified for the defense as Neumann's attorney tried to show the father didn't know how ill his daughter was. Wilde said the five adults and three other children at the home prayed and took communion in an effort to heal the girl. She went home and took a nap, expecting the Neumanns to call later and say Madeline was fine and walking again.

"I believe in the power of prayer," Wilde testified.

The girl died about two hours later. Someone called 911 when she stopped breathing.

Neumann's wife, Leilani, testified earlier that she noticed her daughter had been weaker and drank a lot of water — some early symptoms of diabetes — about two weeks before she died. Leilani Neumann was convicted of second-degree reckless homicide this spring and faces up to 25 years in prison when sentenced Oct. 6.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090730/...s_prayer_death

[samanthajane13]

Wis. jury: Father guilty in prayer death case
By ROBERT IMRIE, Associated Press Writer Robert Imrie, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 33 mins ago

WAUSAU, Wis. – A central Wisconsin man accused of killing his 11-year-old daughter by praying instead of seeking medical care was found guilty Saturday of second-degree reckless homicide.

Dale Neumann, 47, was convicted in the March 23, 2008, death of his daughter, Madeline, from undiagnosed diabetes. Prosecutors contended he should have rushed the girl to a hospital because she couldn't walk, talk, eat or drink. Instead, Madeline died on the floor of the family's rural Weston home as people surrounded her and prayed. Someone called 911 when she stopped breathing.

Sitting straight in his chair, Neumann stared at the jury as the verdict in a nearly empty courtroom was read. He declined comment as he left the courthouse.

Defense attorney Jay Kronenwetter said the verdict would be appealed. He declined further comment.

Prosecutors also declined comment, citing a gag order.

Leilani Neumann, 41, was convicted on the same charge in the spring. Marathon County Circuit Judge Vincent Howard set Oct. 6 for sentencing for both parents, who face up to 25 years in prison.

Their case is believed to be the first in Wisconsin involving faith healing in which someone died and another person was charged with a homicide.

Last month, an Oregon jury convicted a man of misdemeanor criminal mistreatment for relying on prayer instead of seeking medical care for his 15-month-old daughter who died of pneumonia and a blood infection in March 2008. Both of the girl's parents were acquitted of a more serious manslaughter charge.

Neumann's jury — six men and six women — deliberated about 15 hours over two days before convicting him. At one point, jurors asked the judge whether Neumann's belief in faith healing made him "not liable" for not taking his daughter to the hospital even if he knew she wasn't feeling well.

Neumann, who once studied to be a Pentecostal minister, testified Thursday that he believed God would heal his daughter and he never expected her to die. God promises in the Bible to heal, he said.

"If I go to the doctor, I am putting the doctor before God," Neumann testified. "I am not believing what he said he would do."

The father testified that he thought Madeline had the flu or a fever, and several relatives and family friends said they also did not realize how sick she was.

Assistant District Attorney LaMont Jacobson told jurors in closing arguments Friday that Neumann was "overwhelmed by pride" in his interpretation of the Bible and selfishly let Madeline die as a test of faith.

Neumann knew he should have taken his daughter to a doctor and minimized her illness when speaking with investigators, Jacobson said, calling Neumann no different than a drunken driver who remarks he only had a couple of beers.

Doctors testified that Madeline would have had a good chance of survival if she had received medical care, including insulin and fluids, before she stopped breathing.

Kronenwetter told the jury that Neumann sincerely believed praying would heal his daughter and he did nothing criminally wrong.

"Dale Neumann was doing what he thought would work for his daughter," Kronenwetter said. "He was administering faith healing. He thought it was working."

(This version CORRECTS Corrects year from 2003 to 2008 in 2nd graf)


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090801/...s_prayer_death

[samanthajane13]

Parents in prayer death get probation, some jail

WAUSAU, Wis. – A judge has sentenced a Wisconsin couple to 10 years probation and 30 days a year in jail for the next six years for praying instead of seeking medical care for their dying 11-year-old daughter.

Marathon County Circuit Judge Vincent Howard sentenced Dale and Leilani Neumann on Tuesday. The jail terms were stayed pending appeals by the couple of their convictions for second-degree reckless homicide in March 2008 death of their daughter, Madeline Neumann.

The girl died of complications from undiagnosed diabetes on the floor of the family's home while people around her prayed. Someone called 911 after she stopped breathing.

Prosecutors argued the parents should have rushed the girl to a hospital because she couldn't walk, talk, eat or drink.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

WAUSAU, Wis. (AP) — A Wisconsin couple convicted of reckless homicide for praying instead of seeking medical care for their dying 11-year-old daughter are set to be sentenced.

Dale and Leilani Neumann face up to 25 years in prison each when sentenced Tuesday. They were convicted at separate trials of second-degree reckless homicide in Madeline Neumann's March 2003 death from undiagnosed diabetes.

Prosecutors contended the parents should have rushed the girl to a hospital because she couldn't walk, talk, eat or drink. Madeline died on the floor of the family's rural home as people surrounded her and prayed. Someone called 911 when she stopped breathing.

The Neumanns say they believe all healing comes from God. Their attorneys have said the convictions will be appealed.

(This version CORRECTS the year Madeline died to 2008, instead of 2003.)


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091006/...s_prayer_death

[samanthajane13]

Praying Parents Get Jail for Child's Death
By ROBERT IMRIE, AP

WAUSAU, Wis. (Oct. 6) - A central Wisconsin couple who prayed rather than seek medical care for their 11-year-old dying daughter were sentenced Tuesday to six months in jail and 10 years probation in the girl's death.

Dale and Leilani Neumann could have received up to 25 years in prison for the March 2008 death of Madeline Neumann, who died of an undiagnosed but treatable form of diabetes. They were convicted of second-degree reckless homicide in separate trials earlier this year.

In sentencing the couple, Marathon County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Howard said the Neumanns were "very good people, raising their family who made a bad decision, a reckless decision."

"God probably works through other people," Howard told the parents, "some of them doctors."

The case was believed to be the first of its kind in Wisconsin involving faith healing in which someone died and another person was charged with a homicide.

Prosecutors contended the Neumanns recklessly killed their youngest of four children by ignoring obvious symptoms of severe illness as she became too weak to speak, eat, drink or walk. They said the couple had a legal duty to take their daughter to a doctor but relied totally on prayer for healing. The girl, known as Kara, died on the floor of the family's rural Weston home as people surrounded her and prayed. Someone finally called 911 after she stopped breathing.

"We are here today because to some, you made Kara a martyr to your faith," Howard told the parents.

In testimony at trial and in videotaped interviews with police, the parents said they believe healing comes from God and that they never expected their daughter to die.

During the sentencing hearing, Leilani Neumann, 41, told the judge her family is loving and forgiving and has wrongly been portrayed as religious zealots.

"I do not regret trusting truly in the Lord for my daughter's health," she said.

"Did we know she had a fatal illness? No. Did we act to the best of our knowledge? Yes."

Dale Neumann, 47, read from the Bible and told the judge that he loved his daughter.

"I am guilty of trusting my Lord's wisdom completely. ... Guilty of asking for heavenly intervention. Guilty of following Jesus Christ when the whole world does not understand. Guilty of obeying my God," he said.

The Neumanns held each other as Howard sentenced them, a Bible on the table nearby and their three teenage children sitting behind them in the front row of the courtroom.

Prosecutors had asked for a three-year suspended prison sentence and 10 years probation. Defense attorneys had sought four years probation.

The judge ordered the couple to serve one month in jail each year for six years so the parents can "think about Kara and what God wants you to learn from this." One parent would serve the term in March and the other in September. Howard stayed the jail sentences while the couple's convictions are appealed.

As part of their probation, the parents must allow a public health nurse to examine their two underage children at least once every three months and must immediately take their children to a doctor for any serious injuries.

Assistant District Attorney LaMont Jacobson said justice was served by the sentences, but he was disappointed the parents never said they were sorry for what happened.

"They allowed Kara to die because they got themselves too caught up in the misguided belief that they were being tested by God," the prosecutor said.
Dale Neumann, who once studied to be a Pentecostal minister, told reporters the couple continues to trust in God.

"We live by faith," he said after the sentencing. "We are completely content with what the Lord has allowed to come down, but he is not done yet."


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