{UAH} Faith Healer Parents Plead Guilty in the Death of Baby After They Chose Prayer Over Medical Help

Faith Healer Parents Plead Guilty in the Death of Baby After They Chose Prayer Over Medical Help

Alexia Fernandez

 

6 hrs ago

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© Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian via AP Mitchells plead guilty

The parents of an infant twin girl who died hours after her birth in 2017 pled guilty on Monday.

The couple, Sarah Mitchell, 25, and Travis Lee Mitchell, 22, pled guilty to negligent homicide and criminal mistreatment in the death of their daughter Gennifer Mitchell, according to the Associated Press.

The two are members of the Followers of Christ church, a small religious group that rejects medical care in favor of faith-healing.

Sarah gave birth to another child, Gennifer's twin, Evelyn, who survived after a deputy medical examiner visiting the home because of the other baby's death, noticed the still-living twin was also struggling to breathe, the AP reported.

Sarah did not know she was expecting twins or when she was due as she did not have any prenatal care.

The court heard that after being born the child struggled to breathe for a number of hours and members of the church were instructed to pray or lay hands on the dying baby but no one called 911.

Evelyn and Gennifer were born in their grandparents' home on March 5, 2017. Gennifer died from "complications of prematurity."

The Mitchells were each sentenced to almost seven years in prison, with credit for 13 months in custody while awaiting trial and credit for good behavior, according to the outlet.

The Mitchells' lawyer read a statement aloud in court in which they acknowledged they had failed to provide medical care for their children.

"Everyone in the church should always seek adequate medical care for our children," a part of the statement read.

It was signed by Sarah's father, Walter White. Her grandfather, also named Walter White, founded the Oregon chapter of the church, The Oregonian reported.

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