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Records: Mom accused of decapitating baby has family history of mental illness
Deasia Watkins, 20, charged with killing 3-month-old daughter
The Cincinnati mother accused of decapitating her infant daughter has a disturbing background of her own.Officials released more than 400 pages of documents Tuesday to WLWT News 5. Those records show a history of criminal neglect, dysfunction and emotional abuse for a young Deasia Watkins.Watch this storyWatkins was charged with allegedly killing her 3-month-old daughter earlier this month.Watkins, 20, and her brother were taken from their mother, Tina Johnson, when she was 3 years old.Johnson, according to court documents, was diagnosed with depression, mild mental retardation and schizoaffective disorder, a condition in which a person experiences a combination of schizophrenia symptoms -- such as hallucinations or delusions -- and mood disorder symptoms, such as mania or depression.According to court documents, social workers said their home often didn’t have enough food or clothing and wasn’t clean.When Watkins was 3 years old, she had ringworm and ear infections in both ears, after one spread to another because they were not treated.Court documents show she could not talk at age 3, had no vocabulary and was not enrolled in Head Start or speech therapy.The Hamilton County Juvenile Court appointed a legal guardian for both of Johnson's children in 1998.From that point on, Watkins and her brother bounced around, living with at least five different relatives and friends. Her father was not part of her life.At one point, when Watkins was 11 years old, according to court documents, she worked through "grief and abandonment issues."Watkins was charged with killing her baby after suffering from postpartum psychosis.Her aunt, the baby's great-aunt, had custody of the baby. Prosecutors said the aunt allowed Watkins to stay at her house, even though she was ordered not be near the baby.Watkins’ attorney declined Tuesday to give an on camera interview. He said the case shows a cycle of mental illness.Michael Trap said his client should not be hated, but rather pitied. He said she’s a sick person, but not an evil person.Trap plans to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity once an indictment is handed down.The case will be heard by a grand jury Thursday.
CINCINNATI —
The Cincinnati mother accused of decapitating her infant daughter has a disturbing background of her own.
Officials released more than 400 pages of documents Tuesday to WLWT News 5. Those records show a history of criminal neglect, dysfunction and emotional abuse for a young Deasia Watkins.
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Watch this story
Watkins was charged with allegedly killing her 3-month-old daughter earlier this month.
Watkins, 20, and her brother were taken from their mother, Tina Johnson, when she was 3 years old.
Johnson, according to court documents, was diagnosed with depression, mild mental retardation and schizoaffective disorder, a condition in which a person experiences a combination of schizophrenia symptoms -- such as hallucinations or delusions -- and mood disorder symptoms, such as mania or depression.
According to court documents, social workers said their home often didn’t have enough food or clothing and wasn’t clean.
When Watkins was 3 years old, she had ringworm and ear infections in both ears, after one spread to another because they were not treated.
Court documents show she could not talk at age 3, had no vocabulary and was not enrolled in Head Start or speech therapy.
The Hamilton County Juvenile Court appointed a legal guardian for both of Johnson's children in 1998.
From that point on, Watkins and her brother bounced around, living with at least five different relatives and friends. Her father was not part of her life.
At one point, when Watkins was 11 years old, according to court documents, she worked through "grief and abandonment issues."
Watkins was charged with killing her baby after suffering from postpartum psychosis.
Her aunt, the baby's great-aunt, had custody of the baby. Prosecutors said the aunt allowed Watkins to stay at her house, even though she was ordered not be near the baby.
Watkins’ attorney declined Tuesday to give an on camera interview. He said the case shows a cycle of mental illness.
Michael Trap said his client should not be hated, but rather pitied. He said she’s a sick person, but not an evil person.
Trap plans to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity once an indictment is handed down.
The case will be heard by a grand jury Thursday.
