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Louise WoodwardKiller of an eight-month-old baby.
Date of Birth: 28.02.1978
Country:  Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Louise Woodward
Louise Woodward, an infamous figure in her time, was a nineteen-year-old housekeeper from England who was convicted of the unintentional murder of an eight-month-old infant. The tragedy occurred in Newton, Massachusetts in 1997.
Early Life and Career
Louise Woodward was born on February 28, 1978. She was an ordinary young woman until she found herself at the center of a devastating event. For some time, Louise worked as a nanny for a tiny baby boy named Matthew Eappen. In February 1997, the infant was taken to a pediatric hospital with injuries that were incompatible with life. On February 9, the baby died without regaining consciousness. It was later determined that the child had not only recently suffered a fractured skull and hematoma but also had other injuries that had been inflicted earlier.
The Trial and Controversy
In her statement to the police, Louise Woodward claimed that the baby fell from the bed. When she was arrested, her lawyer attempted to have the trial moved to another city, as he doubted that the local jury would be able to impartially render a fair verdict. Despite the defense's efforts, the request was denied. Eight doctors testified against Louise, each claiming that the baby's injuries had been intentionally inflicted and were the result of repeated blows. Moreover, the doctors asserted that the harm inflicted on the child was equivalent to throwing him from a second-story window. The presence of injuries three weeks prior also indicated that the baby's parents had subjected him to extreme abuse.
However, Louise Woodward remained composed and consistently denied noticing anything unusual until the night the baby fell from the bed. On October 30, 1997, the jury found Louise Woodward guilty and suggested a sentence ranging from 15 to life imprisonment, in accordance with Massachusetts laws. The verdict was later appealed, and Louise underwent a polygraph test, which almost proved her innocence. Eventually, the judge stood up in defense of the accused and imposed an exceptionally lenient sentence, which she had essentially already served while awaiting trial. Louise was released and returned to her home country, England.
Life after the Trial
In 2002, Louise Woodward graduated from the University of London with honors. In 2007, she was named one of the most notorious defendants in Massachusetts.
