Jury deliberations set to begin in baby sitter trial

A Monmouth County jury will soon decide the fate of a baby sitter on trial for the death of the child she was watching. Michelle Heale, of Toms River, is facing charges of murder and endangering the

News 12 Staff

Apr 16, 2015, 2:51 AM

Updated 3,570 days ago

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A Monmouth County jury will soon decide the fate of a baby sitter on trial for the death of the child she was watching.
Michelle Heale, of Toms River, is facing charges of murder and endangering the welfare of a child in the death of 14-month-old Mason Hess in 2012.
Heale and her attorneys have been fighting those charges, questioning the diagnosis of the baby at the time of his death, and criticizing some doctors who are advisors for the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome.
Heale says Hess was choking on applesauce while sitting on her bedroom floor and she tried to help.
During closing arguments held Wednesday, Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Marc Lemieux defended the physicians and told jurors that Heale is not a victim.
"Good, bad or indifferent, Michelle Heale lied not once, but many times to get as close as she could to the real story without going so far as to do anything without admitting to this," said Lemieux.
Jury deliberations are expected to begin Thursday morning.