WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina | Medical examiner takes the stand in Midlands daycare homicide case

Medical examiner takes the stand in Midlands daycare homicide case

By Jody Barr - email

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - The first trial in the case of a Midlands woman accused of homicide by child abuse continued Wednesday.

Andrea Person's defense team started the day questioning interrogation tactics used by Richland County sheriff's investigators and why the original cause of death in this case was changed nearly 9 years later.

For the second day, prosecutors found themselves defending a written confession Person gave investigators back in April 2007.

Person's defense team says she was pressured into confessing that she held her hand over 1-year-old Zach Ulengchong's nose and mouth until she suffocated the boy inside her daycare in 1998.

Richland County sheriff's deputy chief, Wilson says Person never denied she did it.

"I remember her being remorseful, but I also seem to recall her being relieved as well," said Wilson.

The confession came after investigators started questioning Person in April 2007.

Originally, the coroner and pathologists ruled Zach's death natural and as a result of pneumonia.

After the confession, that all changed.

"The degree of pneumonia, in my opinion, was insufficient to cause death," said Richland County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Clay Nichols.

Dr. Nichols wasn't part of the 1998 autopsy, but the coroner asked Nichols to review the case after investigators say Person admitted to suffocating the boy.

Defense attorneys say pathologists never found any signs of bruising, or abuse in the original report, which proves Person is innocent.

"Unfortunately, that's quite common," said Dr. Nichols. "It's a real difficult point in forensic pathology that young children can be suffocated relatively easy without leaving marks. They're relatively young, obviously, but they also don't put up much of a fight and in a very short time, they can be subdued."

The trial continues Thursday with more witness testimony, but there is no word yet on when the state will rest its case.

Next, Andrea Person will make her case and will possibly take the stand.

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