Woman Named in Twin Death Had Conviction (Punched toddler in face)

AP ^ | Sat, Mar. 13, 2004

[jwalburg]

SALT LAKE CITY - The woman charged with killing one of her twins by refusing a Caesarean section was convicted of child endangerment in Pittsburgh nearly four years ago, a newspaper reported Saturday.

The 2000 conviction of Melissa Rowland stemmed from a supermarket incident in which she punched her daughter several times in the face after the toddler picked up a candy bar and began eating it, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. Witnesses said Rowland screamed, "You ate the candy bar and now I can't buy my cigarettes."

An Allegheny County, Pa., court sentenced Rowland to five years probation for simple assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. Her daughter was turned over to a child-welfare agency.

Prosecutors in Salt Lake City charged Rowland Thursday with criminal homicide and child endangerment for refusing doctors' advice to get a C-section. Charging documents allege that Rowland was warned numerous times between Christmas and Jan. 9 that her twins would likely die if she did not get immediate medical treatment.

One of the twins, a boy, was stillborn Jan. 13. A girl survived and has since been adopted, but prosecutors say she tested positive for cocaine and alcohol.

Rowland, 28, of the Salt Lake City suburb of West Jordan, has denied prosecutors' claims that she avoided the surgery because of fears of scarring.

A call after hours to Rowland's attorney, Michael Sikora, was not immediately returned. Sikora has said Rowland has a history of mental illness. Rowland said she attempted suicide twice and has spent time in a psychiatric hospital.

In a jailhouse interview with The Associated Press Friday, Rowland said her two children from her estranged husband have lived with his parents since 1997. She did not mention the prior conviction and said her children, ages 7 and 9, no longer live with her because she thought they were better off with their grandparents.

[jwalburg]

Bad news for the surviving one too.

[GeronL]

real classy people

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Put the kids up for adoption. Giver her a choice: tubes tied or life in prison. Either way, this "woman" bears no more children to harm.

[The Brush]

They'll let anyone breed these days won't they?

[jwalburg]

Is this really her photo? Man alive!

[Hank Rearden]

A bit late to sweat another disfigurement.

[A.J.Armitage]

If somebody threw her away she'd go in a white trash bin.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

A bit late to sweat another disfigurement.

Roger that.

PS: How's bout these matches?

.

[mafree]

EWWWW! Killed my appetite for today.

[ZOTnot]

The original news story claimed she refused the C-section because she did not want to be 'disfigured.' (Like who thinks she is a beauty queen anyhow?).... Later reports attributed to her reveal she already has scars from a previous C-section....The stories do not match but judging from her face, my guess is 'major crack problem'....

[pawdoggie]

Seeing the mug-shot I have but one question, who in the hell had the stomach to get her pregnant?

[randog]

I can see why she didn't want the scar--she's already got plenty of ugly on her.

[KantianBurke]

Witnesses said Rowland screamed, "You ate the candy bar and now I can't buy my cigarettes."

Sick bitch.

[atomicpossum]

TIE HER TUBES (preferably around her throat).

[.38sw]

This is someone who shouldn't be passing along her genetic material.

[Reactionary]

Good God. It's a mutant female.