Bronx Teacher's Murder Charges Reduced Over Postpartum Illness
Case summary
In July 2012, Bamenga, a New York City teacher, poisoned and then drowned her two children, 4-year-old Trevor and 4-month-old Violet, in her Bronx apartment, and attempted to take her own life. She was charged with murder. After a three-week non-jury trial, Judge Martin Marcus convicted her in April 2016 of two counts of manslaughter rather than murder, finding she suffered an emotional disturbance severe enough to mitigate the charges after the defense presented evidence of postpartum psychiatric illness. She was sentenced to concurrent 8-year terms. The case is cited as an example of postpartum illness being treated as mitigation rather than a complete insanity defense in New York.
Mental-health context
Bamenga's defense presented evidence of severe undiagnosed postpartum depression/psychosis after the birth of her second child; the trial judge found she acted under extreme emotional disturbance, reducing her liability from murder to manslaughter.
Status / outcome
Convicted of manslaughter (2016); sentenced to 8 years (concurrent terms)
Sources
- https://abc7ny.com/lisette-bamenga-manslaughter-mom-kills-kids-new-york-city/1282795
- https://www.cbsnews.com/news/8-years-for-lisette-bamenga-mom-who-poisoned-grape-juice-drowned-kids/
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