Foster mom to stand trial

Murder and child abuse charged in 2-year-old's death

Jack Kresnak

Detroit Free Press

Dec. 12--Despite an autopsy that could not determine whether 2-year-old Allison Newman died of an accident or someone's intentional act, the girl's foster mother, Carol Ann Poole, was ordered Monday to stand trial on homicide and child-abuse charges.

After hearing testimony from two doctors, another foster mother, three police officers and a Canton Public Safety dispatcher, 35th District Judge John E. MacDonald in Plymouth ruled that the 40-year-old Poole should stand trial in Wayne County Circuit Court on charges of first-degree felony murder, first-degree child abuse and involuntary manslaughter in Allison's death.

Poole's stories about what happened to Allison on Sept. 20-22 varied significantly, police said.

The child was flown by helicopter to Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, where she was declared brain dead Sept. 22.

Canton police detectives Mike Wells and Jeff Pomorski questioned Poole there and heard four stories, beginning with the girl banging her head on her bed Sept. 20.

Wells testified Monday that Poole told the detectives Allison had bruises and a bad headache the next day so she kept her home from day care.

Wells said that when detectives said they doubted her story, Poole then said Allison had fallen hard in the bathtub and later that Allison fell off the bathroom sink counter.

Wells said he still didn't believe that story.

That is when Poole told him about playing whirly bird with Allison on the second-floor balcony.

Poole said she became dizzy and her grasp of the child slipped, sending her over the railing to a 12-foot drop on her head.

Poole is being held without bond in the Wayne County Jail.

Mark Satawa, Poole's attorney, said there was no evidence of felony murder and nothing to show that Poole intended to hurt the child.

Contact JACK KRESNAK at 313-223-4544 or jkresnak@freepress.com.