baby arsenic poisoning update
fyd
http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/local_regional/pois08222003.htm
article-
The elderly dentist who poisoned two Middleton children with arsenic-laced
weed killer he apparently thought was spring water was unable to tell police
where he found the deadly mixture inside his house
The concentration of arsenic was so high when the baby formula was tested at
a state lab ``that it damaged the testing apparatus,'' Marks said.
stargazer
"fyd" <fn...@nospamhotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bi63ce$123$1...@bob.news.rcn.net...
Thanks for the update on this one. Something is wrong here, how the hell
could he mistake arsenic for spring water? And who are these people anyway?
Are they relatives of the younger couple? This seems very suspicious to me
anyway.
star
Mark Fenster
Some additional information from the Lawrence Eagle-Tribune...
Thursday, August 21, 2003
Affidavit: Lethal mix intended to kill weeds
By Jill Harmacinski
Staff Writer
A weedkiller that was 23 percent arsenic and other poisons and 77
percent water has been identified in a state police affidavit as the
fatal dose served to a Middleton infant at a backyard barbecue on the
North Shore.
The weedkiller was mixed with baby formula and served to 4-month-old
Benjamin Glynn during a party at the home of Constantine and Angeline
Pitsas in Nahant on Aug. 8. The infant died two days later.
The affidavit said the 1-gallon plastic jug containing the solution of
arsenic and water had a skull and crossbones sticker on the handle,
but the emergency medical personnel treating the baby noticed it was
turned inside out when they examined the jug.
Two-year-old Morgan Glynn, the victim's sister, also drank the
weedkiller. She is reported in good condition at Children's Hospital
in Boston, recovering from the effects of the poisoning.
Constantine Pitsas has said he mistakenly thought the weedkiller jug
contained spring water.
State police used the court affidavit to search the Pitsas home at 121
Little Nahant Road in connection with the district attorney's
investigation of the case. It described how the children's parents,
Douglas and Sonja Glynn, initially thought both children were stricken
with the flu after drinking water served by Constantine Pitsas.
Douglas Glynn, in an attempt to get drinking water to mix with
Benjamin's formula, first reached for an outside water hose before
Constantine stopped him, the affidavit said. The host told Glynn he
had spring water in the house and returned with a "1-gallon plastic
bottle with a handle." He then poured the content into both the baby
bottle and a cup for Morgan.
As her mother mixed her brother's baby formula, Morgan Glynn sipped
from her cup and "complained that the water did not taste good,"
according to the documents.
Then, the little girl began vomiting. Her brother soon did the same.
The Glynns abruptly left the barbecue, which was attended by 25
people. On the way home, Sonja Glynn sat in the back seat of the car
with the ailing children, who became increasingly ill.
"Blood was now present," according to the affidavit, written by state
Trooper Dennis Marks. "Douglas decided to take the children to a
hospital and was closest to Beverly Hospital."
At Beverly Hospital's emergency room, "the emergency room staff
observed that the baby bottle contents were bluish instead of a milky
white," the affidavit said. The staff asked Douglas Glynn to return to
Nahant to retrieve the water bottle from which the children were
served drinks.
Douglas did and "stopped for only a second to tell Constantine Pitsas
that his child was sick and he was taking the water bottle," according
to the affidavit.
When Glynn returned to Beverly Hospital, Dr. Christine James, aided by
an unnamed emergency room nurse, noticed a label attached to the water
jug. "It was inside out and at the handle area," the affidavit said.
"Unfolding the label it said, 'Total Weed Kill,' with a skull and
cross bones warning-Poison and Arsenic, 23 %."
The children and the water bottle were then taken immediately to
Children's Hospital in Boston.
Doctors then sought the arsenic antidote DMPS, which has not been
approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration but was available
at a Bangor, Maine, hospital. Maine and Massachusetts state troopers
raced the antidote, used only in cases of extreme poisoning, to
Boston.
Benjamin died at 6 a.m. Aug. 10. It's unclear if doctors were able to
administer the antidote to him or his sister.
During a search of the Pitsas home, state police seized papers with
names and addresses, a yellow, sticky note pad, a calendar, a 1-gallon
jug with water, and plastic, plastic foam and paper cups.
The application also touches on Constantine Pitsas' claim he served
the children spring water he obtained in Franconia Notch, N.H., two
months ago. But at the same time, according to the affidavit, when
questioned by state troopers, Pitsas said he could not remember where
he got the water jug to pour the Glynn children drinks during the
barbecue.
Staff Writer Jill Harmacinski may be contacted by phone at (978)
922-1234, or by e-mail at jharma...@ecnnews.com
stargazer
"Mark Fenster" <Fenster_2...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b5e42449.03082...@posting.google.com...
Am I the only one this sounds extremely strange to? This guy stores weed
kill on his kitchen counter? Alongside the water bottles 'he fills himself'
from some spring? Even the part about 'the father was going to use hose
water for mixing with baby formula? I've had three children and never ever
used hose water to add to baby formula. You go in the house and get tap
water when feeding an infant, you don't grab the nearest hose. Actually,
when my oldest was a baby, one still sterilyzed everything, boiled it for
twelve minutes, or some such time. This who senario seems odd to say the
least. And I know I keep harping on it, but who are these people anyway?
Family, close friends? Sorry Fenster, I'm not directing that at you, just
rhetorically, WTF are these people? To feed an infant, two children, pure
arsneic?
star
Child
> Am I the only one this sounds extremely strange to? This guy stores weed
> kill on his kitchen counter? Alongside the water bottles 'he fills
himself'
> from some spring? Even the part about 'the father was going to use hose
> water for mixing with baby formula? I've had three children and never
ever
> used hose water to add to baby formula. You go in the house and get tap
> water when feeding an infant, you don't grab the nearest hose. Actually,
> when my oldest was a baby, one still sterilyzed everything, boiled it for
> twelve minutes, or some such time. This who senario seems odd to say the
> least. And I know I keep harping on it, but who are these people anyway?
> Family, close friends? Sorry Fenster, I'm not directing that at you, just
> rhetorically, WTF are these people? To feed an infant, two children, pure
> arsneic?
i am wondering if they were drinking?
Mark Fenster
Stargazer,
The best answer I can give you regarding your question, "who are these
people anyway?" is the families are business associates (see below).
Investigation Continues Into Infant's Arsenic Death
Police Question Former Dentist In Case
POSTED: 12:22 p.m. EDT August 13, 2003
UPDATED: 12:52 p.m. EDT August 13, 2003
SALEM, Mass. -- The investigation continued on Wednesday into the
arsenic poisoning of 4-month-old Benjamin Glynn over the weekend.
Newscenter 5's Rhondella Richardson reported that a team of
investigators met about the case on Wednesday morning in Salem and
then resumed interviewing witnesses and seeking additional clues.
The police have not made any arrests in the case, and no charges have
been filed. On Tuesday, investigators spent time questioning
Constantine Pitsas, 76, and his wife. The retired dentist and his wife
are reportedly cooperating with police.
It was during a weekend cookout at the Pitsas' Nahant, Mass., home
when the arsenic was allegedly mixed into the formula of Benjamin by
Constantine Pitsas. Investigators believe a bottle of arsenic on the
kitchen counter was mistakenly thought to be a similar-appearing
bottle of spring water. The Pitsas family reportedly bottles its own
spring water from a steam on the Vermont-New Hampshire border.
The Glynn and Pitsas families are described by investigators as
business associates.
*****************************
Lastly, a family statement on the incident
Family statement
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
Douglas and Sonja Glynn released this statement Tuesday through the
Essex District Attorney's office:
"On Saturday August 9th our family attended a cookout at the residence
of Constantine Pitsas in Nahant, Massachusetts.
While there, Mr. Pitsas poured a substance which he called spring
water into the formula bottle for our 4 month old Benjamin and the
drinking glass of his 2 year old sister.
The substance was later identified to be arsenic. Benjamin and his
sister became immediately ill, and were taken to Beverly Hospital and
then to Children's Hospital in Boston.
Benjamin died at 6 a.m., Monday Aug. 11. His sister is recovering.
We respectfully request all inquiries and/or comments be directed
through the district attorney's office."
stargazer
"Mark Fenster" <Fenster_2...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:b5e42449.03082...@posting.google.com...
You're gonna love me for this but, 'so what kind of business anyway?'
Sorry, couldn't help myself. ;) This incident is very strange, to say the
least. I can't get past the spring water, bottling their own, storing it
with the arsenic.............this whole things seems really strange to me.
I don't buy it was accidental for a moment, but I don't know what was behind
it either. Feeding pure arsenic to two innocent babies.
star
Mark Fenster
Stargazer,
Below, a potential answer to your question 'so what kind of business
anyway?' The father of the boy who died (Douglas Glynn) was a
financial planner. Constantine Pitsas (the person who poured the
arsenic into the formula bottle) was a retired dentist. It's at least
possible to think that the father might have been helping Constantine
Pitsas with financial or retirement planning.
Fenster
************************************************************************
Baby Ben had 'smile that melt your heart'
By Debra Glidden
Friday, August 15, 2003
NAHANT -- As police continue the investigation into Monday's
arsenic-induced death of 4-month-old Benjamin Jung Jin Glynn, family
members mourned Thursday while his 2-year-old sister, who also
ingested arsenic, recovers at Boston's Children's Hospital.
"Benjamin loved playing with his sister, Morgan, and the daily
slobbery inspections from the family bulldog, Norman," the family said
in a statement released with an obituary late Wednesday. "Ben was a
happy, smiley baby boy. Benjamin's life was very short, but he brought
so much happiness to those around him. His smile would melt your
heart. He brought love and so much happiness to his family and all who
knew him.
"Benjamin was a beautiful baby boy with a wonderful life ahead of him.
Until Saturday, Ben was part of a family who would (have) considered
themselves among the luckiest people on earth," according to the
statement.
The poisoning occurred at a cookout at the Little Nahant Road home of
Constantine and Angelina Pitsas. No charges had been filed as of press
time.
According to an earlier statement issued by Benjamin's parents,
Douglas and Sonja Glynn, Constantine Pitsas poured a substance, which
he identified as spring water, into the formula bottle of Benjamin and
the drinking glass of Morgan.When the children became violently ill on
their way home, they were taken to Beverly Hospital. When doctors
suspected the children had ingested arsenic, they were transferred to
Children's Hospital.
Pitsas, 75, is a retired dentist, and Douglas Glynn is a financial
planner. The Glynn family was at the Pistas' home for a "business
function," according to a source within the Police Department who is
close to the investigation. One police official said Pitsas kept jugs
of spring water on his kitchen counter along with a similar looking
jug of a solution nearby, which contained arsenic that he used to kill
weeds.
The Glynn family commended the staff at Children's Hospital for the
"valiant effort" to save their son, and in the statement they wrote,
"Until now, there was no data, worldwide, on arsenic poisoning for
such a young child."Autopsy results were not available at press time,
and the case remains under investigation by state and local
authorities.
stargazer
Thanks for the updates Mark. Maybe the old guy wasn't pleased with his
investments? Is it just me that finds this case rather unbelievable, that
one can confuse pure arsenic with spring water? And WTF takes jugs to a
spring to fill 'em in this day and age? With all the run off and such,
aren't most water sources questionable to say the least? There's something
very 'hinkey' about this one IMHO.
star