Tuesday, May 21, 2013

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First day of child abuse trial ends
Posted: 03.11.2013 at 6:18 PM
Mark Slavit

Mark Slavit is the Columbia Bureau chief and the Mid-Missouri Traveler.

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Authorities say Shelley Richter hit and shook then-7-month-old Lane Shaffer two and a half years ago.
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The trial for a Cole County woman accused of shaking a baby began Monday, after being rescheduled four times.

Authorities say Shelly Richter hit and shook then-7-month-old Lane Shaeffer two and a half years ago.

During opening statements, Assistant Cole County Prosecutor Cheryl Ayn Nield told the jury that Richter is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child and abuse of a child causing serious emotional injury.

Richter said she dropped the baby on a concrete floor after tripping over another child at her home daycare, but prosecutors said that Lane's injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

Three people took the stand Monday, including Lane's parents and his pediatrician.

The jury saw photographs of Lane in the hospital immediately after receiving his injuries and a 20-minute video of Lane as a 3-year-old undergoing therapy. The video showed that Lane is blind, can't walk, has little use of his left side and that his right side is very weak.

Lane's pediatrician testified that Lane was completely healthy when he was 6 months old.

Richter's trial resumes Tuesday at 9 a.m.

The judge has barred cameras from the courtroom for this trial, which is expected to finish Wednesday.

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