Heather Lindorff gets 6 years

Heather Lindorff gets 6 years

Wednesday, March 31, 2004
By Laura Tull
ltull@sjnewsco.com

WOODBURY -- Over her pleas urging the court not to break up her family, Heather Lindorff was sentenced to six years in state prison Tuesday for the abuse and neglect of her deceased 5-year-old adopted Russian son.

The 39-year-old adoptive mother of five tearfully told the court, "my worst fear is being taken away from them. I think I need them more than they need me."

Soft sobs were heard from the audience where the five other children, also adopted from Russia by Heather Lindorff and her husband James, sat in a row of red faces, hugging each other and wiping away tears.

On December 22, a jury convicted Heather Lindorff, of Franklin Township, of second degree endangering the welfare of a child in the December 14, 2001 death of her 5-year-old adopted son, Jacob. She was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter and aggravated assault charges.

Her husband, James Lindorff, 54, was sentenced to four years of probation and 400 hours of community service over four years for fourth degree child abuse.

The jury deliberated for less than three days.

The Lindorffs, once portrayed as a model for international adoptions, both expressed remorse over the death of their son.

"Your honor, don't break up this family," James Lindorff implored the judge. "This isn't the house of horrors that was portrayed by the Prosecutor's Office.

"I love all my children deeply and they love me. I feel that I've been a good father. I deeply regret what happened to Jacob. There's nothing I can do to change that," said James Lindorff.

Prior to sentencing, Superior Court Judge Julio Mendez denied defense motions seeking a new trial and a judgment of acquittal for both the Lindorffs. Defense attorneys argued that the judge improperly dismissed a lesser count of child abuse against Heather Lindorff during the trial and that the state had withheld discovery materials.

Heather Lindorff faced a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in state prison.

As the sentence was announced, James Lindorff put his arms around his wife and held her close, his eyes closed. The couple seemed oblivious as the proceedings continued around them.

The judge ordered Heather Lindorff to report to the Gloucester County Women's Facility in Clarksboro on April 23 at 6 p.m. to begin her sentence. He agreed to consider a defense request for bail pending her appeal.

Afterwards, Heather Lindorff went to her children, kneeling down to offer hugs and comfort as they crowded around her crying, their faces flushed with emotion.

Assistant Prosecutor Mary Pyffer called the sentence "very fair and appropriate." She added, "We have a little boy that came into our country, seemingly healthy, and six weeks later he was dead."

Prosecutors argued that the child died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head, an injury consistent with child abuse. Jacob was also found to have sustained second-degree burns on his feet, hemorrhaging in one eye, bruises over his body. The state also claimed he suffered what appeared to be seizures.

Heather Lindorff was the primary caregiver for the couple's six adopted children. Both burn injuries occurred under her sole care. She testified that they were "accidental." However, "the jury found otherwise," said Pyffer.

Defendants are typically eligible for parole after serving a third of their sentence -- that's two years in Heather Lindorff's case, said Pyffer.

With the exception of 20-year-old Jessica, the four Lindorff children ranging in age from 8 to 13 remain in the custody of their maternal adoptive grandmother.