MOTHER CHARGED IN ADOPTED GIRL'S DEATH

SHAKEN-BABY CASE

MOTHER CHARGED IN ADOPTED GIRL'S DEATH

Columbus Dispatch, The (OH) - Saturday, March 8, 2003

Author: Mary Beth Lane ; THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A Lancaster woman faces criminal charges related to the death of the 2-year-old daughter she adopted from Russia . The girl allegedly died of shaken-baby syndrome.

Susan J. Bennett , 41, is scheduled to be arraigned Thursday in Fairfield County Common Pleas Court.

A grand jury indicted Bennett last week on charges of reckless homicide and endangering children in connection with the October death of her daughter, Maria .

The girl had lived with Bennett for about nine months before her death, Lancaster detective Sgt. Mike Peters said.

"It's sad. She came from probably a bad circumstance in Russia and then, unfortunately, this happened."

Children Services workers removed Bennett 's other adopted daughter, a 5-year-old also from Russia , from her home and placed her with Bennett 's relatives, Peters said.

Lancaster police and paramedics went to Bennett 's home at 108 Sunrise Dr. on Oct. 19 after she phoned 911 to report that Maria was having trouble breathing. The child was flown to Children's Hospital in Columbus, where she died four days later.

The Franklin County coroner listed the cause of death as a nonaccidental head injury and ruled it a homicide. The child's injuries were consistent with shaken-baby syndrome, Peters said.

Bennett told police officers she tripped while carrying Maria and dropped her, causing the child to strike her head, Peters said. The girl's injuries were not consistent with that account, however, he said.

If convicted, Bennett faces a maximum sentence of eight years in prison, said Gregg Marx, assistant county prosecutor.

Bennett is free on $25,000 bond. Neither she nor her attorney returned telephone messages left yesterday.

mlane@dispatch.com