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Tuesday, November 4, 2008 12:51 PM CST
Depression defense expected in Coralville boy’s death
INDEPENDENCE (AP) — A prosecutor expects a Coralville woman accused of killing one of her sons and trying to kill another will use a defense of postpartum depression or postpartum psychosis.

Michelle Kehoe is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and child endangerment. She’s accused of killing her 2-year-old son, Seth, and injuring her 7-year-old son, Sean, on Oct. 26 in a remote area near Littleton in northeast Iowa.

Kehoe’s attorney hasn’t been identified. Buchanan County Attorney Allan Vander Hart says he expects the defense will say Kehoe was suffering from postpartum depression or psychosis when she allegedly harmed her children.

Kehoe, who was also injured, remains at University Hospitals in Iowa City. She is expected to be taken into custody after she leaves the hospital.
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squamous2 wrote on Nov 4, 2008 10:24 AM:

" I don't understand how they can say this. She PLANNED it. "

squamous2 wrote on Nov 4, 2008 10:25 AM:

" Big shocker. NOT. We all knew they would try to use that defense. "

(return of) joe wrote on Nov 4, 2008 12:31 PM:

" squamous2...not the same thing as the insanity defense, which requires that you not know that what you were doing was wrong. Think and/or know before writing nonsense. "

Reader54 wrote on Nov 4, 2008 1:18 PM:

" Joe... she had planned on doing this for 2 months. (Actually over a year when you consider the car "accident" into the river). It is difficult to see how she did not understand what she was doing.

I noted on the blog when she was first charged that she will be sent to a mental hospital and after being "treated" will make a remarkable recovery and be released after a few years! "

teltyl wrote on Nov 4, 2008 2:35 PM:

" I'm sorry but I don't feel sorry for her. I have two children and had depression following also, but it NEVER crossed my mind to do something that awful to them. She need to be punished to the fullest extent. I'm sick of people using depression as an excuse. That's not a reason to harm your children, your own flesh and blood. "

jammaj wrote on Nov 4, 2008 3:06 PM:

" I noticed that this was the prosecutor's opinion of what the defense will be. She doesn't even have an attorney yet, so nobody knows yet what the actual defense will be.

Postpartum depression is real, and can happen. That doesn't mean it's a valid legal defense, however. Many women who do develop the depression would NEVER harm their children. I agree with the post from teltyl on that. "

SPURSNSADDLES wrote on Nov 4, 2008 3:31 PM:

" JAMMAJ:
You are right, that is what the prosecution's office believes it will be. Because more then likely that is what they have been told by her attorney or family. And, yes she does have an attorney it just has not been announced publicly who he is. They don't have to tell you, but when she is taken into custody in Iowa City after her release (which shall be soon) they will release for all the nosey people out there who her attorney is and what her defense will be.
But, she can sit there with doctor's, family and investigators and state she don't know why she did it she just wants to be locked up or dead so she can't hurt no one else. That means to me that she is full aware of what it is she did, insanity is not a defense. It's a cop out and a big excuse for what it is she did to those two lovely children. I just hope she pleads guilty or something so the state doesn't not have to put the family through anymore struggles, and grief. "

mistress wrote on Nov 4, 2008 5:24 PM:

" I know postpartum depression is real. Many of us mothers have had it. But still we chose not to harm our children. We either worked though it or got help.

I do not feel sorry for this lady at all. She had already planned to harm/kill her children a month or more ago. Look back at last years Iowa River episode.

However I do feel for the family and am praying they will find a way to come though this horrible situation. "

Get Real wrote on Nov 5, 2008 7:11 AM:

" So many shrinks on blog here. This weoman had obvious signs of severe problems and if the so called "normal" people around her couldn't see that she was a threat, do you really think she isn't nuts and yes that is a defense, like it or not. This country's lack of knowledge or compassion for the mentally ill is sad.
This could happen to your family people, don't be so self righteous. And just because you had PPD and it didn't turn out this way, thank your lucky stars. "

CiCi wrote on Nov 5, 2008 8:32 AM:

" When I had postpartum depression (no one even talked about it then), I recall not wanting my daughter. I just didn't want anything to do with her, didn't want to take her home, nothing. I knew it was wrong to feel that way and I knew something wasn't quite right, but I never said a word to anyone. I still did what I was supposed to do for my baby daughter because I was afraid of everyone being disappointed in me; not because it was the right thing to do.

That said, I don't think it's a "choice" to do much of anything when you're suffering from a mental disorder. Your brain isn't functioning right and you aren't capable of making rational decisions.

Does that excuse this woman? Not necessarily, but I don't think that we can say what, exactly, a person will/won't do when suffering from depression. Depression doesn't mean you're sad. It means you've checked out of your life, you literally HURT (emotionally and physically), and as the symptoms increase, you feel like the best thing would be for you to call it quits (suicide) or get rid of the things that you believe are hindering you (in this woman's case, it looks like she had some issues with being a mother and maybe a wife in the traditional sense).

Depression is decidedly more serious than feeling bad, and it comes in a number of levels. I was lucky and came out of mine in about two weeks -- not everyone does.

I just wonder whether her husband noticed anything and whether he sought assistance. "

deadmansdoc wrote on Nov 5, 2008 10:43 AM:

" I am not sure if the attempt in December documents "planning" in the sense of a well thought out way to do away with her childrens. It is, however, an overt act which demands investigation. "

lil one wrote on Nov 5, 2008 11:09 AM:

" It just leaves me speechless. I can only pray for the rest of the family. "

squamous2 wrote on Nov 5, 2008 11:21 AM:

" (return of) joe..... they are not going after the insanity defense. They are going for the postpartum depression defense. "

squamous2 wrote on Nov 5, 2008 11:35 AM:

" PREMEDITATED...PLANNED...She bought the duct tape & knife with the intention of using them to kill her children....TRIED TO COVER IT UP...she wrote a note 1 MONTH ago and then rewrote it that morning to fit the situation at hand. She held down a great full time job working in the pharmacy at the UIHC. For someone like her, overdosing her children was not an option. It would have been too obvious. It would have been hard to try to cover that one up. She lied to authorities. She originally said she and her 2 children were abducted by a man with a knife. It makes you wonder if the change in her story came after her OWN CHILD said it was mommy who did it.WWOOWW. That's not only wrong, that's SICK and SAD. No child should have to go through that kind of hell. "

(return of) joe wrote on Nov 5, 2008 12:02 PM:

" Exactly my point, which is not based on whether or not you knew what you did was wrong. As I said, know before talking nonsense. "

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