Woman Reportedly Slits Throat of Infant Daughter

Pioneer Press ^ | Aug. 04, 2003 | LISA DONOVAN

[wallcrawlr]

35-year-old woman reportedly slit the throat of her 6-month-old daughter in St. Paul this morning, killing the baby, police said. Mine An Ener, who had apparently been suffering from depression, confessed to the slaying inside a home in the Desnoyer Park neighborhood on St. Paul’s western edge, police said.

About 9 a.m., Ener reportedly finished feeding the infant in a relative’s house in the 500 block of Desnoyer Avenue. She carried the baby into the bathroom and, moments later, walked out and told a relative in the house: "I think I killed the baby," said St. Paul police Sgt. Bruce Wynkoop.

The relative called 911 immediately. As medics tried to assist the baby, police took Ener into custody.

The slaying occurred at the home of a relative where Ener and her daughter, who reside in Pennsylvania, had been visiting for an undetermined amount of time, police said.

[hopespringseternal]

From the DSM IV: Mood congruent delusions or hallucinations may accompany severe Major Depressive Disorder.

Make that homicidal psychosis, since depression is a psychosis.

In the wake of Andrea Yates' murders, every psychologist not carrying a check with her lawyer's signature (or NOW's) on it got up and said unequivocally that postpartum depression is not homicidal.

[Lijahsbubbe]

Make that homicidal psychosis, since depression is a psychosis

Major Depressive Disorder is not a psychosis, it is the mental disorder. Psychosis is a symptom or feature of the mental disorder.

Pyschosis = severe mental derangement with loss of contact with external reality.

[honeygrl]

"There have also been alot of men killing their children. Men leaving their children in cars to die. Alleged murderers like Scott Peterson, the man who just recently took his two adolescent children and disappeared with them, authorities are still looking for the two children, the man who shot up his entire family (allegedly). "

I hope they get the harshest punishment possible as well. Men don't get off with the depression excuse though so they probably will get proper punishment.

[Lijahsbubbe]

As I recall, the last man who left his child in a van all day was not charged.

[Clara Lou]

it's entirely possible she had no insight into her distorted thinking.
So, you are telling me that this was not a gradual descent into depression, that, one day, full-blown post-partum depression descended on her? And she was unable to tell that she was abnormally unhappy and having dangerous thoughts? Your response above seems like a stretch.

[honeygrl]

"As I recall, the last man who left his child in a van all day was not charged. "

Well, if the child died and a judge or jury let him off the hook for it the blood of that child is on their hands too as far as I'm concerned. I don't know anything about that story but I can't think of any good reason for a person to do that short of being unconscious making him unable to get the child out or tell someone else to. I can't seem to muster any sympathy for people who do moronic things like that.

[honeygrl]

"So, you are telling me that this was not a gradual descent into depression, that, one day, full-blown post-partum depression descended on her? And she was unable to tell that she was abnormally unhappy and having dangerous thoughts? Your response above seems like a stretch. "

I agree with you. At your 6wks post pardum check up any decent doctor always asks if you've had baby blues, depression, etc. I have trouble believing it just pops up out of the blue months after the baby is born. Everything I've read says if your are going to have PPD or even just baby blues it starts around 2-4wks after birth. I was lucky not to have even the baby blues after either child (i was jsut happy not to be pregnant anymore because I had rough pregnancies.) My mom did have post pardum psychosis for years after my brother was born and I remember it well. She never attempted to kill herself or anyone else though. She had a severe case too and would go to the ER 2-3 times a week with panic attacks. I just don't buy PPD or PP psychosis as an excuse to kill your kid.

[Lijahsbubbe]

I don't think he was ever even charged with anything.

I just don't seem to remember parents killing children when I was growing up.

I have a friend whose sister was abducted and killed by a stranger while she was babysitting. That was about 35 years ago. And boy, that was talked about for years. Now we just move on quickly to the next murder.

[honeygrl]

The difference may just be that the media hovers over cases like this now and I don't think they always did. Years and years ago, it likely wouldn't have gotten national coverage because it would've been handled privately in the town it happened. They profit off other people's tragedies nowadays and ignore any good stuff that happens.

[nmh]

"A circle is flat. A sphere has the third dimension."

And I suppose a circle is "suspended" as well. LOL! A circle is not necessarily flat. A ball is a circle and it's not flat. BTW a CIRCLE is TWO dimmensional - there is NO flatness. Geesh, don't even know what a circle is.

"The Catholic Church has officially accepted the possibility of evolution. They certainly don't teach a flat earth theory."

I could care less what the "Catholic church" says or does. They can teach evolution is true and being gay and molesting children is just fine too. I'm not a Catholic. It's the Bible I take to heart unlike the Catholic set of beliefs. It's God who I answer to, not some pious, fallible idiots.

"That has nothing to do with the fact that there are indeed Christians who believe in creationism and the flat earth. If the shoe fits."

Obviously you are not a Christian and any Christian who believes the earth is a circle knows that circles are NOT flat. A circle is TWO DIMENSIONAL - SO, the shoe you try to apply makes NO SENSE. I'm not surprised though ... since you are an illogical person.

[nmh]

I don't know why the father isn't mentioned.

I heard alittle more about this situation. She is a professor at a college in Philadelphia either LaSalle or Villanova - both Catholic flavored colleges. They, (she is married) just bought a BEAUTIFUL house near the campus and is so happens that a picture of the house, in the window is a baby carriage showing SO this is not a woman in poverty.

[jlogajan]

circles are NOT flat. A circle is TWO DIMENSIONAL

One dimension defines a line. Two dimensions define a plane. Three dimensions define a volume.

Two convenient ways of defining a particular circle are with an orthogonal coordinate system (x and y axis) or by polar coordinates (angle and distance.)

An ancient goat herder standing on a hill who spun around on his heels would view a circular horizon (360 degrees) some distance away. He would have just defined a circle in polar coordinates in the plane that intersects his eyes.

He would have no knowledge of the spherical nature of the world underneath his feet. That had to be determined indirectly. When the Old Testament was written 3200 years ago, such knowledge was not widely available. So they wrote from their existing ignorance. Hence the world is flat in the stories of the day.

[tickles]

Yes is the short answer, it's entirely possible she had no insight into her distorted thinking.
>>>>>

well one article I read said she told the police or her family did that she was being treated for post-partum depression. It also stated that she was staying with her family because of this, in other words they already knew that she had this depression. Evidently she was one of the exceptions to whichever little miracle pill you believe would have helped prevent her from killing her child. Who knows, in her case perhaps the little miracl pill set her off. (and yeah my reading both sides of the phycotropic debate leads me to think that there are certain people who really should not take them at all)

[Intolerant in NJ]

Just to close the circle - if anyone's still interested - Dr. Ener was a well-respected professor of History at Villanova University - she married another professor (from Penn I believe) - their daughter was born with Downs Syndrome - i.e. she was likely to be "mentally retarded" (or whatever the current politically correct term is) as he grew up, and her mother murdered her by slitting her throat - local Philly TV tonight reported that, after one unsuccessful attempt at hanging herself last week, Dr. Ener succeded today in taking her own life by smothering herself with a plastic bag - tragic in so many ways.....

[wallcrawlr]

Finally justice was served.