Mother testifies that baby was dropped

[unhappycamper]

Mother testifies that baby was dropped
By David Allen, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, November 3, 2008

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Tahirah Boston’s mother said she was unconcerned about the sudden change in her 2-month old baby’s behavior in the weeks leading up to the child’s death.

Lance Cpl. Eltrena Johnson, in the final day of testimony Friday at the murder trial of her boyfriend, Lance Cpl. James J. Boston, said the couple decided not to take the child to a doctor after Boston tripped and dropped the baby on the floor when picking her up from her crib.

And they did nothing in the following weeks, even though the child seemed to sleep around the clock in their Ishikawa apartment except when awakened to be fed or changed, and frequently spit up milk through her nose, Johnson said.

The 20-year-old Marine’s testimony supported the defense’s claim that Tahirah had an old injury to her brain that went unnoticed and eventually led to her ceasing to breathe on Jan. 28.

That was the day Boston, 22, who was watching the baby alone, said he found Tahirah lying on her stomach and not breathing. She was resuscitated and rushed to a Japanese hospital, where she was placed on life support.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58551