Jennifer Gaster and Daniel Martin II didn't notice the baby was dying

**Wicked Doll** · April 14th, 2009, 10:34 AM

BROWNSVILLE, Pa.- A Pennsylvania couple will stand trial on child endangerment charges because state police say they were too drunk and high to notice their 2-month-old daughter was dying from sudden infant death syndrome.

Thirty-year-olds Jennifer Gaster and Daniel Martin II are accused of snorting cocaine and drinking alcohol the night before they found the baby's dead. Gaster had breast-fed the child in a recliner in the couple's home in Luzerne Township, about 30 miles south of Pittsburgh, and awoke June 6 with the baby unresponsive.

A defense attorney says tests will show the child didn't have drugs or alcohol in her system, meaning Gaster wasn't intoxicated.

Witnesses at a preliminary hearing Monday say the couple drank heavily and used cocaine.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/...y2LFAD97I9JHG0

**jessibear78** · April 14th, 2009, 10:49 AM

I'll agree that doing drugs and drinking with an infant is neglectful but how would they notice their child is dying from SIDS? Does anyone sober or not know when their child is dying from SIDS?

**Wicked Doll** · April 14th, 2009, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by jessibear78

I'll agree that doing drugs and drinking with an infant is neglectful but how would they notice their child is dying from SIDS? Does anyone sober or not know when their child is dying from SIDS?

That's a very good point. Perhaps they did something neglectful that contributed to the child's death from SIDS. Not much information available on this one yet.

**Silvahalo** · April 14th, 2009, 10:55 AM

....state police say they were too drunk and high to notice their 2-month-old daughter was dying from sudden infant death syndrome.

Can one actually realize their infant is dying from SIDS? That's an odd statement. Even if they did notice something was wrong, baby in distress or such, they wouldn't know, heck, I don't think anyone would know their baby was dying from SIDS.

I think it is meant to say that they were to damn high and drunk to notice anything whatsoever was wrong with baby. Was SIDS determined as the factor of death? I'm assuming yes, it that is what the prosecution is saying. I would think it is far more likely baby died from consuming alcohol and or cocaine while being breastfeed.

I'd sure like more info on this one. All I know is we have two dumb-asses and one dead baby.

Rest in peace little one.

**Wicked Doll** · April 14th, 2009, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by silvahalo68

I'd sure like more info on this one. All I know is we have two dumb-asses and one dead baby.

Too many dumbasses with babies. Sigh. I'll update this as I find new information. I was curious about that too.

**Peeperann** · April 14th, 2009, 10:58 AM

Originally Posted by jessibear78

I'll agree that doing drugs and drinking with an infant is neglectful but how would they notice their child is dying from SIDS? Does anyone sober or not know when their child is dying from SIDS?

I agree with that. SIDS is one of the most terrifying and devastating things in the world. But i'm wondering if she had coke in her system and breast feeding the baby, they may think contributed to it.

I've never heard of anything like that contributing to SIDS.

**Wicked Doll** · April 14th, 2009, 11:00 AM

Do not smoke, use cocaine, or use heroin. Tobacco, cocaine, or heroin use during pregnancy increases the infant's risk for SIDS.

http://www.sids.org/nprevent.htm

Perhaps the same applies when breastfeeding?

**El Supremo** · April 14th, 2009, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Wicked Doll

Do not smoke, use cocaine, or use heroin. Tobacco, cocaine, or heroin use during pregnancy increases the infant's risk for SIDS.

Perhaps the same applies when breastfeeding?

I think it's safe to assume that if they were snorting coke and drinking (and in all probability, smoking) after the baby was born, they were probably doing it while Mom was pregnant also. For most people, coke is not a social activity that can just be turned off and back on when it's convenient.

**Kalehue** · April 14th, 2009, 11:03 AM

Was SIDS determined as the factor of death? I'm assuming yes, it that is what the prosecution is saying. I would think it is far more likely baby died from consuming alcohol and or cocaine while being breastfeed.

That was my thought, but then I read this in the article:

A defense attorney says tests will show the child didn't have drugs or alcohol in her system, meaning Gaster wasn't intoxicated.

Of course, that's the DEFENSE stating that, so I'll take it with a grain of salt until they present real evidence.

I guess if they were that drunk/high, they were still placing the baby at risk and could be charged with child endangerment.

**jessibear78** · April 14th, 2009, 11:05 AM

I'm interested to see the toxicology report on the infant. It looks like Mom's saying she was sober witnesses are saying she wasn't. It's not like it'd be that hard to prove one way or the other...

**thebooblady** · April 14th, 2009, 11:18 AM

Originally Posted by jessibear78

I'll agree that doing drugs and drinking with an infant is neglectful but how would they notice their child is dying from SIDS? Does anyone sober or not know when their child is dying from SIDS?

Yeah, thanks for posting that. I wondered the same thing but couldn't figure out how to word it. And if the woman breastfed the baby and the baby didn't show any drugs in its system, then how can they even blame drugs/alcohol? I tried finding more info, but all the articles say the exact same thing.

**penelopejo** · April 14th, 2009, 11:24 AM

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_620529.html

A Fayette County couple were too intoxicated on alcohol and cocaine to notice their 2-month-old baby was dying, according to police.

Jennifer Nicole Gaster and Daniel Keith Martin II, both 30 and of 743 Bull Run Road, Luzerne Township, were held for trial Monday on child endangerment charges after a preliminary hearing before Brownsville District Judge Michael Defino. Gaster was held on an additional charge of reckless endangerment of another person.

In police affidavits, state police at Belle Vernon allege that after a night spent snorting cocaine and drinking beer and vodka, the couple were too incapacitated to notice their baby was dying.

The infant, Lilly Marie Martin, was pronounced dead June 6 at Brownsville Hospital. Trooper Joseph W. Panepinto testified yesterday that an autopsy revealed Lilly died of sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS. The manner of death is listed as natural, he said.

Panepinto testified Gaster told him she had consumed no more than five beers between 4 and 9 p.m. June 5, the night before she found Lilly dead. She told the trooper she believes she fell asleep the morning of June 6, after having breast fed the baby while seated in a recliner. She awoke and found the infant facedown and unresponsive on the recliner between her left leg and arm.

Jordan testified that Martin fell asleep on a couch. She said she went to stay in a nearby camper with her children and Ohler at 4 a.m. June 6. She testified she was awakened about 10 a.m. when Gaster screamed that Lilly was dead.

damn, this sounds just like that grandma who drank and fell asleep and the baby suffocated....more at the link

**Peeperann** · April 14th, 2009, 11:33 AM

Originally Posted by jessibear78

I'm interested to see the toxicology report on the infant. It looks like Mom's saying she was sober witnesses are saying she wasn't. It's not like it'd be that hard to prove one way or the other...

Were they snorting or smoking it? Because either way, it was probably in the air all around the baby.

**jessibear78** · April 14th, 2009, 11:37 AM

Okay, so how's it SIDS then if the baby was between her arm and leg? Wouldn't it at least be some type of asphyxiation?

Since she said she was drinking I firmly believe she should be charged. It's one thing to drink it's another to feed it to your baby.

**penelopejo** · April 14th, 2009, 11:42 AM

Originally Posted by jessibear78

Okay, so how's it SIDS then if the baby was between her arm and leg? Wouldn't it at least be some type of asphyxiation?

Since she said she was drinking I firmly believe she should be charged. It's one thing to drink it's another to feed it to your baby.

They probably can't prove asphyxiation, so they are shooting for not realizing that the child was dying from SIDS. I am assuming they are trying to say that she wasn't drinking since they are bringing in the toxicology reports or whatever. I dunno what either side is thinking. I'm sure she's beating herself up for drinking that night, it's just an odd situation on how some get charged and some don't for doing almost the same thing.

**thebooblady** · April 14th, 2009, 11:53 AM

Originally Posted by penelopejo

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pitt.../s_620529.html

damn, this sounds just like that grandma who drank and fell asleep and the baby suffocated....more at the link

But that's not really SIDS. The baby suffocated. Shitty journalism, maybe? I also hate how the news will show incidents like this means cosleeping is unsafe. You don't sleep with a baby when you are drunk, or high, or on a couch. I've ever heard of a "co-sleeping" death where the baby rolled off into a bucket of water. If you choose to co-sleep you do it in a bed, sober, with no blankets or pillows around the baby!

**Tazzzz** · April 14th, 2009, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by jessibear78

I'll agree that doing drugs and drinking with an infant is neglectful but how would they notice their child is dying from SIDS? Does anyone sober or not know when their child is dying from SIDS?

I wouldn't be here today if my parents were doing what these 2 did, They said I died from SIDS when I was around 5 months old and luckily my mother found me and revived me. So the answer is yes. Most parents get a feel for there children, like when they stop making noise you know there up to no good.

Personally I hate when I see them say a child died from SIDS, there really is no such thing, its just mean the child stopped breathing for some reason. Or they don't know why. Allot of times its asphyxiation of some kind like this case, but its hard to prove.

**Silvahalo** · April 14th, 2009, 01:08 PM

She awoke and found the infant face down and unresponsive on the recliner between her left leg and arm.

This sounds far more like unnatural causes than SIDS. I have my suspicious that this was not SIDS at all, but then I don't know how clearly it can be determined it was SIDS and not asphyxiation.

A Connellsville woman, Michelle Jordan, testified she and Gaster consumed about a quarter-gallon of vodka each June 5 and 6. She said she, Gaster and Martin snorted two lines of powder cocaine during the same time period. Along with a fourth adult, Scott Ohler, all three partook of a 30-pack of 12-ounce beers earlier in the evening...

SIDS: The most important risk factors to be aware of are:
* maternal smoking during pregnancy;
* prone sleep position (lying face down), which can cause the baby to breath in too much carbon dioxide and not enough oxygen; and
* secondhand smoke exposure.

Either way baby Lilly is dead, and I don't see how the mother can bury her baby with a clear conscious.

Rest in peace baby Lilly Marie Martin...

SIDS

**LocalCelebrity** · April 14th, 2009, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by jessibear78

I'll agree that doing drugs and drinking with an infant is neglectful but how would they notice their child is dying from SIDS? Does anyone sober or not know when their child is dying from SIDS?

I was thinking the same thing!

**Wicked Doll** · April 14th, 2009, 01:37 PM

A western Pennsylvania coroner's jury has recommended charging a couple, whose infant died of sudden infant death syndrome, with neglect and child endangerment.

Authorities in Fayette County say their investigation found that Lily Marie Martin, who was almost 3 months old when she died in June, was probably a victim of sudden infant death syndrome and showed no signs of physical abuse or neglect, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. But they say that Jennifer Gaster and Daniel Martin had been drinking and using cocaine the night the baby died.

Gaster told police that she fell asleep while breast-feeding and found the baby's unresponsive body between her legs when she woke in the morning.

State Trooper Joseph Panepinto testified on the 911 call and on a statement Gaster made in an interview days later. The call was made by a friend but Gaster can be heard in the background talking about how drunk she had been the evening before, the Tribune-Review said.

"When I asked her, 'Do you think you maybe had too much to drink?' she said, 'Yeah, I think I had too much. I had a buzz,'" Panepinto said, talking about the July 1 interview.

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/09/...7971221768410/