Mother sentenced to 22 years to life in prison for deliberately poisoning her son with vast amounts of salt throughout the years speaks of her life behind bars. The 28-year-old woman named Lacey Spears complaints how her inmates treat her badly and constantly bully her, calling her “baby killer.”
The case of the death of five-year-old Garnett shook the nation as many were reading his mother’s blogs where she would inform the public and her “fans” of her son’s condition, who she claimed refused to eat. However, doctors, as well as authorities, later learned how the little boy’s feeding bags were full of toxic levels of sodium.
When sweet Garnett was born back in 2008, his mother Lacey said how the baby’s father was an officer named Blake who suffered a tragic death prior to his son’s birth. It was later discovered how this was a made up story and that the man never really existed.
Baby Garnett was released from the hospital as a perfectly healthy baby, but only days after getting home, he developed problems with malnutrition and dehydration.
Speaking to 48 Hours, Lacey said, “Garnett had severe ear infections … and the biggest problem we had was we couldn’t get him to eat … so he was losing weight…he just would not take a bottle, he would not take baby food, he would not nurse.” As a result of that, she took her son to numerous hospitals where he was seen by many doctors.
At one occasion, doctors at a hospital in Alabama found Garnett’s sodium levels to be as high as 180. This was way higher than the normal ranges for infants. Lacey claimed the boy refused any food at that point and instead of gaining weight, he was losing it.
During the first nine months of his life, Garnett was hospitalized 23 times and the fact he wasn’t receiving the essential nutritients to survive worried the doctors.
Lacey spread the word of her ill son all over the social media and kept people update of his condition on her blog “Garnett’s Journey.”
Garnett’s condition only improved after he and Lacey moved to Chestnut Ridge, N.Y. back in 2012. They resided at an alternative and holistic community called The Fellowship Community and spent around a year and a half at the place. According to Lacey, her son was thriving there and things seemed to turn just right for them.
“He was a little social butterfly and he loved it,” Spears told “48 Hours.”
Unfortunately, that didn’t last long as shortly after he turned five, Lacey’s “little prince” was hospitalized again. Doctors monitored his brain activity by setting up a special wired cap on his little head.
The results showed that the sodium levels in Garnett’s body were extremely high. He was then transferred to Westchester’s Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital by helicopter, but nothing could be done. It was already too late for the sweet little angel to be saved. The high levels of sodium made his brain swell.
Doctors believed it was Lacey who poisoned her son with salt over the five years of his life. They alerted the authorities of their suspicions. During the police search of Lacey’s place, they seized hundreds of items, including the bottle of sea salt shown in the photo below.
Garret was declared dead on Jan. 23, 2014 and his mother was arrested on June 17, that same year.
Lacey Spears was convicted of murder. The judge said how what her son had to go through while under her care was “nothing short of torture.”
The main evidence against her was the footage taken at the boy’s hospital room. It clearly showed how Lacey took the child in her arms and brought him to the bathroom. Only seconds after they returned, Garnett started feeling worse and was seen putting his head in the bed. His mother was just looking at him as the medical staff was trying to save him.
It was later determined how for the time they left the room, she put salt in his feeding bag.
NY Daily News reported how Garett’s feeding bags that were at his mother’s home contained life-threatening concentrations of salt. One of them contained doses that were equal to 69 McDonald’s salt packets.
This mother always found a way to fool doctors when asked about her son’s health, saying he experienced eating issues.
She continues claiming how she didn’t harm her child and had nothing to do with his death. She insists that the reason for his passing were the numerous procedures that weakened his body.
However, according to the judge who convicted her to 22 years to life, she obviously suffers from a condition where parents make up or cause health issues in their children all for the sake of gaining public attention.
He proceeded saying, “One does not have to be a psychologist to know that you suffer from a mental illness known as Munchausen Syndrome.”
While serving her sentence in Bedford Hills prison, Lacey complains how inmates bully her and call her “baby killer.” She spoke to John Glatt, the author of the book about her and said how she wanted to be transferred to another prison.
Her sister Rebecca told Glatt about Lacey, “When she walked through the line and it would be her turn to pick up the tray (someone) would put salt packets over her meal and then hand the tray to her.”
“It’s been brutal here. Crimes involving children are considered the worst here,” Lacey reportedly told Glatt.
“I hear them talking behind my back, calling me ‘baby killer,’ ‘child killer,’ and ‘mother of the year.’ But I know it’s not who I am.”
On the other hand, she refuses protective custody at a maximum security facility because she doesn’t want to be spending 23 hours a day in solitary confinement.
This woman was able to poison her child and see him die right in front of her eyes only to gain the sympathy of her Facebook followers.
Some people still consider her the perfect mother she tried to present herself to the world, as she still finds ways to stay in touch with the outside world.
Below is the video which depicts the exact moment Garett’s condition gets worse and he eventually dies. Lacey could be seen getting him to the bathroom and reportedly carrying the salt in her hand.
Take a look at the whole story and make your mind up on this case yourself.