they do not plan to pursue the death penalty...

[ziggytrix]

Trial begins in chili powder death

02:51 PM CST on Monday, November 7, 2005

From WFAA-TV Reports

The case of a young Irving mother accused of killing her baby with chili powder last year went to trial Monday.

Angela Disabella, 21, told police she put chili powder on her daughter's thumb to stop her from sucking it — an idea she said she read on the Internet.

Disabella, who faces a capital murder charge, appeared in a Dallas courtroom Monday morning as jury selection began. Opening statements were tentatively set for 9 a.m. Tuesday if the panel is set.

Authorities said 5-month-old Kira Disabella died on May 31, 2004, just hours after inhaling the chili powder, despite the efforts of paramedics to save her.

The Dallas County medical examiner's office ruled Kira's death a homicide, finding that the infant choked on chili powder. Officials said her airway was clogged with the substance.

Police said they found chili powder strewn all over the kitchen at Disabella's Irving apartment.

There are various references online to chili powder as a deterrent to thumb sucking, few of which mention any dangers. Information is also available about products containing pepper extracts – among other ingredients - that are touted not only to curb thumb sucking, but also to cure nail biting. There are also articles critical of these practices.

Child Protective Services had tried to investigate reports that the girl was malnourished, but the family had moved several times and CPS case workers lost track of the Disabellas.

Prosecutors said they do not plan to pursue the death penalty.

The Dallas Morning News contributed to this report.


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/110805dnmetwfaa.3996c46b.html

[Guildencrantz]

Chili powder. Thats damn clever

[FartinMowler]

Munchausen by Proxy Syndrome ? I doubt it being that putting something like chilipepper on her thumb could be a form of murder.

Child Protective Services had tried to investigate reports that the girl was malnourished, but the family had moved several times and CPS case workers lost track of the Disabellas.

If she was neglected and not fed then I could see a case.

[ziggytrix]

Yeah, I just dunno if the girl was really stupid or really trying to kill her baby. Seems to me like a really strange way to murder your own child, but on the other hand, a mother stupid enough to kill her baby like that probably needs to be taken care of like a child herself.

I just thought it odd that they were charging murder and not manslaughter or negligent homicide. In Texas, murder means intent to kill, or killing whil committing a felony or fleeing from a felony offense.

[kahljorn]

I don't see how they could charge her with murder at all, and I find it offensive they intend to do so with the evidence they have aqiured.

[ziggytrix]

Well she's Mexican, and maybe the baby was half-white. I mean, under Texas law that would be murder, right? >:

[kellychaos]

Officials said her airway was clogged with the substance.

Clogged? That's kind of a loaded verb and, if correct in this case, reveals that she used a lot of friggin' chili powder. Just sayin'

[ziggytrix]

Yeah, she did use a lot of chili powder... she was mixing it with water to make a paste that she was packing on the baby's thumb.


anyway they conviced her on a manslaughter charge and gave her 7 years.

[kahljorn]

What the fuck's with that lady? Trying to deter a baby from sucking on their thumb with chilipowder? She's mexican, they love that spicy shit. At least the kid got a taste of a culture he clearly loved before he died.