Mom Allegedly Cut Off Baby's Arms

[Guest obby]

Mom allegedly cut off baby's arms

Faces capital murder charges

PLANO, Texas (AP) -- A woman with a history of postpartum depression cut the arms off her baby girl who later died, authorities said.

Dena Schlosser was sitting in her living room covered with blood when police arrived Monday. Her almost 11-month-old daughter lay fatally injured in a crib in a bedroom of the family's apartment in Plano. The child was pronounced dead shortly afterward at a nearby hospital.

Police have charged the 35-year-old mother with capital murder, but declined to reveal where she is being held.

Schlosser, who had a history of postpartum depression, had been investigated on child neglect allegations earlier this year, but Texas Child Protective Services had recently closed a seven-month investigation, concluding that Schlosser did not pose a risk to her children. Neighbors said she seemed to be a loving, attentive mother.

"There were never any indications of violence with this family," agency spokeswoman Marissa Gonzales said. "The children had always been healthy, happy and cared for."

But, on Monday, authorities discovered a grisly scene at the family's apartment after the child's father called a day-care center, and asked them to check on his wife and daughter.

Day-care workers called 911 after talking to the mother; an operator then called Schlosser.

Asked if there was an emergency, Schlosser calmly responded "Yes," according to 911 tapes released by police.

"Exactly what happened?" the 911 operator asked.

"I cut her arms off," Schlosser replied, as the hymn "He Touched Me" played in the background.

"You cut her arms off?" he repeated.

"Uh huh," she answered.

It was not immediately clear what instrument was used to sever the baby's arms or why the child's father called a day-care center to check on his family.

Schlosser lived at the apartment with other family members, including her two older daughters. Authorities said the girls, ages 6 and 9, were at school when police arrived, and that their father was at work.

No one answered the door Monday night at the family's apartment in suburban Dallas. Children's bicycles rested near the entrance along with angel garden statues.

Neighbors said Schlosser took her children swimming in the summer, had picnics in the courtyard and walked her baby around the complex the same time each afternoon.

Dena Livingston, 43, said she saw Schlosser making her rounds with the stroller on Sunday. Two days earlier, she saw Schlosser waiting with the baby outside the elementary school where her two other daughters attend.

"She didn't give off like she was in a distant world or didn't care about the baby," Livingston said.

Livingston's husband, Brad, added: "To see her with the girls, you would just think she was a great mother."

Child-protective officials were interviewing Schlosser's daughters and would talk to the father before deciding whether to remove the girls from the home.

In January, the agency was called to the home after Schlosser was seen running down the street, with one of her daughters bicycling after her, authorities said. When officials arrived, the child told them her mother had left her 6-day-old sister alone in the apartment.

Schlosser appeared at the time to be suffering from postpartum depression and having a psychotic episode, Gonzales said.

Schlosser was hospitalized, and later agreed to seek counseling and saw a psychiatrist, Gonzales said.

"At the time we closed the case, we had been assured that Mom was stabilized and that she was not a risk to herself or her children," Geoff Wool, spokesman for the Family and Protective Services Department, said.

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Copyright 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[ryan2772]

unfreaking believable. this morning they played on the news the 911 call she made, confessing. i almost threw up.

[Guest JMT]

wtf is up with this post pardum depression? it makes you want to hurt your kids that badly??

[ryan2772]

wtf is up with this post pardum depression? it makes you want to hurt your kids that badly??

man fuck that shit.

[Guest ic143]

They should cut off her arms!!! >

[Guest obby]

All I can think about is that helpless child. She did nothing to deserve that pain.

News like this really pisses me off and leaves me in a bitter state.

[Guest LdySphynx]

Post Partum depression after 11 months.......thats bullshit!!!!!

Ususally post partum depression hits you about 1 or 2 weeks after you give birth and last about 10 days after that.....the longest it has taken women to feel the symptom is 6 months after giving birth!!!!

This bitch was just a cynical and decided to use that as an excuse!!!

[Guest LaLeeBeaN]

They should cut off her arms!!! >

OR WORSE FOR SURE!!! I could not imagine doing harm like to my baby girl! Ugh!!!! That sickens me....so sad. That poor baby had to suffer through the whole thing. :'( I mean imagine your MOMMY doing something so awful! :-\ :'(

[Guest Diabolique]

what a tradgedy, not only was that child in needless pain, she will never enjoy life like we do

:'( R.I.P.

[Guest shannon_coolj.]

wtf is up with this post pardum depression? it makes you want to hurt your kids that badly??

No way...I've heard of mothers hating their babies for a while after birth but never something like this...

Of course, she's going to blame in on post-partum depression because no one takes responsibilities for their actions nowadays... > > >

[Guest web_norah]

how disturbing