Charlotte Wetzel
Tot At Day Care Died From Blow -- Monroe Police Say Arrest Likely
Tuesday, June 9, 1998 - Page updated at 12:00 AM
By Chris Solomon
Seattle Times Snohomish County Bureau
A 17-month-old girl being looked after at a Monroe day-care center was killed by a blow to her midsection, and police expected to make an arrest as early as today.
Monroe police Cmdr. Steve Seibert said they were focused on one person but declined to identify him or her.
Seibert did say the woman who owns the licensed center with her husband and who runs it out of their home was the only adult present when Charlotte Wetzel stopped breathing about 12:25 p.m. Wednesday.
The girl was taken to Valley General Hospital in Monroe, then airlifted to Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle, where she died that afternoon.
Hospital personnel and detectives noted suspicious marks and bruises on Charlotte's body. The King County Medical Examiner's Office last weekend determined the girl was hit hard enough in the abdomen to cause heavy bleeding.
"The force of the blow would have to be tremendous," Seibert said.
The only other children present at the day-care center at the time of the accident were the owners' two girls, ages 11 months and 2 years. They, along with a 15-year-old son, have been placed in foster care, police said.
The day-care center's license has been suspended.
The center, which authorities would not identify, had operated since August 1996 and was licensed to care for up to six children, said Kathy Spears, a spokeswoman for the state's Child Protective Services.
"A whole book of licensing requirements" is required before a home can legally operate as a day-care center, Spears said.
Workers submit to background checks and undergo training, and there must always be an adult on duty who knows child CPR and first aid. Homes must meet cleanliness and safety standards.
Child Protective Services has not heard any complaints against the center, Spears said.
Police said last night that they had interviewed several people and that the person of particular interest had been cooperative.
Day-Care Operator Arrested -- Parents Of Dead Tot Vow To Fight Child Abuse
By Anne Koch
Wednesday, June 10, 1998
Seattle Times Snohomish County Bureau
MONROE - A young couple whose only child died in an apparent homicide-by-abuse case at a day-care center here has vowed to fight child abuse.
Margot and Milynn Wetzel, still in shock from the death of their 17-old-month daughter last week, said they will take action to raise awareness - perhaps by sponsoring a silent walk in honor of their child this weekend.
"I'm going to use my anger to save other children," said Margot Wetzel, holding onto her husband in the couple's back yard last night. "If I could save just one child, that would ease my pain."
Their daughter, Charlotte, was pronounced dead at Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center last Wednesday after the co-owner of Robin's Day Care, a licensed home day-care center in Monroe, called 911 earlier in the day to report the child wasn't breathing. Charlotte was taken to Valley General Hospital in Monroe then airlifted to Children's.
Her injuries included extensive bruising, cuts to her lip and mouth and internal bleeding. The King County Medical Examiner's Office determined she died from a heavy blow to the abdomen.
The co-owner, a 33-year-old Monroe woman, was arrested yesterday on investigation of homicide-by-abuse. She was taken into custody at Providence General Medical Center in Everett after collapsing at her attorney's office earlier in the day, police said.
A court hearing is set for today.
The woman's three children - a 15-year-old boy, a 2-year-old girl and an 11-month-old girl - were placed in foster care Saturday.
Margot Wetzel, office manager for an Edmonds travel business, said the woman appeared to be a responsible mother who ran an excellent program. Wetzel said she was delighted to learn her daughter was the only child currently enrolled because she thought that meant Charlotte would receive good care.
The Wetzels began taking their daughter to the home in January; recently they were leaving her with the woman five days a week.
Parents recall some bruises
In thinking back, the couple noticed some bruises on Charlotte within the last several weeks. But that wasn't unusual, they said, and Milynn Wetzel has a condition that causes him to bruise easily. The couple thought their daughter had inherited the tendency.
The day before Charlotte died, her parents took her to a doctor because she had vomited, as she had a week earlier. The doctor could find no problem, and the Wetzels concluded their daughter may have had the flu.
Monroe police have talked to other parents who sent their children to the day-care center in the past and have learned of questionable injuries regarding at least two other children, according to a search-warrant document filed yesterday in Evergreen District Court in Monroe.
One child mentioned a "spanking belt" to parents, the document states.
No other children have been seriously injured. Police are asking parents whose children have attended the center to call them at 360-794-6300.
Monroe police searched the woman's home, in the 15000 block of 173rd Avenue Southeast, for several hours late yesterday and retrieved evidence. The woman's husband was inside last night but declined to talk to reporters. Blinds were drawn inside the yellow one-story house, which sits behind a well-tended lawn.
John Hayes, who lives next door, said he and his wife are friends of the couple.
"They're excellent, outstanding people," Hayes said. "There's nothing negative I can say about them. . . . This is a total shock."
Another neighbor, Julie Cantrell, said, "They're really neat people. (The woman) was just sweet and always seemed so gentle and calm."
City's first homicide in years
Monroe Police Chief Colleen Wilson said the child's death is the city's first homicide in years. Police have worked round-the-clock on the case since the middle of last week.
The woman, who has no criminal record, has operated the home since 1996, Wilson said. She was licensed by the state to care for up to six children. The license has been suspended.
To prove homicide-by-abuse, which carries a standard sentencing range of 20 to about 26 years in prison, prosecutors must show a defendant engaged in a pattern of assault, abuse and torture.
The homicide-by-abuse law was sparked by the death of Eli Creekmore, 3, of Everett, who was kicked to death by his father in 1986 after authorities removed the boy from his home several times, then returned him.
The woman is being held in Snohomish County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.
Snohomish County bureau reporter Chris Solomon contributed to this report.
Day-Care Death: Why? -- Woman's Lawyer Hints At Postpartum Depression
By Anne Koch
Seattle Times Snohomish County Bureau
Thursday, June 11, 1998
EVERETT - The attorney for a woman arrested in the death of a toddler at a day-care center says he'll explore whether his client was suffering from postpartum depression.
"We're going to investigate that," said Everett lawyer Royce Ferguson.
The 33-year-old Monroe woman was arrested Tuesday on investigation of homicide by abuse in the death of Charlotte Wetzel. To prove such a crime, prosecutors must show a defendant engaged in a pattern of assault and abuse that caused death.
Charlotte, nearly 17 months old, died June 3 after she stopped breathing at the woman's home day-care center. She was taken to a local hospital, then airlifted to Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle, where she was pronounced dead.
Charlotte died of a heavy blow to the abdomen, the King County Medical Examiner's Office determined.
Postpartum depression describes a variety of mental illnesses that can occur in a new mother, ranging from depression to psychosis. A combination of drastically changing hormone levels after birth, along with sleep deprivation and increased responsibility all contribute, medical experts say.
Postpartum depression in new mothers can occur any time during the baby's first year of life, experts say.
The woman has three children of her own, including an 11-month-old girl.
Ferguson said his client is "overwhelmed," grief-stricken and tearful and is on medication after collapsing in his office Tuesday.
She was arrested at a hospital later that afternoon.
The woman is co-owner of Robin's Day Care, which she has operated out of her home for the past two years.
Throughout that time, she cared for fewer than 12 children, authorities said. She was licensed by the state to care for up to six children at once. The license has been suspended.
Charlotte's parents, Margot and Milynn Wetzel, placed their child in the woman's program in January. The toddler had been attending the day-care center five days a week.
Monroe police now think the woman may have assaulted two or three other children under her care in the past, said Cmdr. Steve Seibert. No other children were seriously injured, he said.
Police who searched the day-care center Tuesday took bags of evidence, including records, blankets and a brown leather belt with a 2-inch-square buckle, according to the return of a search warrant filed yesterday in Evergreen District Court.
One child who earlier attended the day-care center mentioned a "spanking belt" to parents, a warrant affidavit said.
The woman's children were placed in foster care Saturday by the state's Child Protective Services and returned to her husband yesterday after a court hearing.
Police had no indication the woman abused her own children, Seibert said.
Medics arrived at the center last Wednesday after the woman called 911 to report Charlotte wasn't breathing. She was the only child attending the day-care center recently; the woman was the only adult at the home when medics arrived.
The child's injuries included extensive bruising, cuts to her lip, and internal bleeding.
The woman was on suicide watch in the Snohomish County Jail, where she was being held in lieu of $250,000 cash-only bail.
Monroe police were urging people who sent their children to Robin's Day Care to contact them at 360-794-6300.
The Wetzels are sponsoring a silent march Saturday in memory of Charlotte. The march begins at 1 p.m at the Fred Meyer store on U.S. 2 in Monroe.
Deadly Abuse Of Toddler Gradual -- Monroe Caregiver Charged In Slaying Of 16-Month-Old
By Anne Koch
Seattle Times Snohomish County Bureau
Friday, June 12, 1998
EVERETT - The abuse began gradually, prosecutors allege.
A slap here, a backhanded hit there. Sometimes the woman would stuff the child's blanket in her mouth to stop her from crying, they say. Eventually, she got in the habit of kicking the toddler in the stomach.
Robin Johnson, 32, was charged yesterday in Snohomish County Superior Court with homicide by abuse in the death of 16-month-old Charlotte Wetzel.
Prosecutors allege the Monroe woman repeatedly abused the child before finally killing her June 3. Since January, Charlotte had attended the day-care center that Johnson operated out of her home.
On the day the child died, prosecutors say, Johnson put Charlotte in a highchair around 11:30 a.m. and cinched the chair's belt tight because she was squirming. Johnson allegedly kicked the child several times, causing her to vomit.
Johnson picked the child up by her feet, threw her on her sleeping mat on the floor, and stomped and kicked her in the stomach, according to the charges.
Medics arrived shortly before 12:30 p.m. after Johnson called 911 to report Charlotte wasn't breathing.
She was taken to a local hospital, then airlifted to Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle where she was pronounced dead.
Charlotte died of a heavy blow to the abdomen, the King County Medical Examiner's Office determined.
Johnson began abusing children under her care in January or February of last year, according to charging papers. At least two others, including an 8-month-old, were physically abused, the charges say. The abuse allegedly included slapping, pushing and hair pulling.
Johnson resented the time that the day-care children took away from her own kids and felt overwhelming anger and irritation toward them, the charges allege.
Johnson, who has no criminal record, has operated the home day-care center since 1996. She was licensed by the state to care for up to six children; in total, she has cared for fewer than 12.
On June 3, Charlotte was the only child under Johnson's care besides two of her own three children.
Johnson's children were placed in foster care Saturday by the state's Child Protective Services and returned to her husband Wednesday after a court hearing.
Snohomish County Prosecutor Jim Krider said yesterday that the case is among the worst his office has handled since he was elected prosecutor in 1994.
Homicide by abuse carries a standard sentencing range of 20 to about 26 years. For a conviction, prosecutors must show a defendant engaged in a pattern of assault, abuse or torture.
Royce Ferguson, Johnson's Everett lawyer, has said he will explore whether Johnson, who has an 11-month-old child, was suffering from postpartum depression or some other mental condition. He said a forensics psychologist would begin evaluating her today.
"If you assume she killed the child, that still doesn't tell us what was going on in her head," Ferguson said yesterday. "Why would a gal who has never been in trouble suddenly flare up like that?"
If Johnson was experiencing extreme postpartum depression - a variety of mental illnesses, ranging from depression to psychosis that can occur in a new mother - would she be capable of planning and engaging in a pattern of abuse? Ferguson questioned.
Ferguson said his client will enter a not-guilty plea at her arraignment Monday. Such a plea is routine and gets the trial process started.
The victim's parents, Margot and Milynn Wetzel, attended their daughter's funeral yesterday.
The couple have vowed to turn their private tragedy into a public campaign to raise awareness about child abuse. In addition to organizing a march Saturday, they're starting funds at Seafirst Bank and Washington Mutual Bank to benefit causes that fight such abuse.
A native of France and former au pair, Margot previously miscarried and experienced a difficult pregnancy and childbirth with Charlotte. She said it's unlikely she'll be able to have another child. She and her husband hope to adopt children.
------------ Silent march ------------
Margot and Milynn Wetzel, Charlotte's parents, will lead a silent march in their daughter's memory tomorrow to raise awareness of child abuse. The 1 p.m. march will begin at Fred Meyer on Highway 2 in Monroe.
Couple Hold Walk For Child-Abuse Awareness
By Carole Beers
Seattle Times Staff Reporter
Sunday, June 14, 1998
MONROE - The 100 people gathered in a corner of the Fred Meyer parking lot here yesterday strained to hear when soft-spoken Margot Wetzel and her husband Milynn spoke.
The couple had pulled the gathering together, a 30-minute "Awareness Walk" to raise public awareness about child abuse. Their 16-month-old daughter, Charlotte, died 11 days ago. She allegedly was kicked in the abdomen by a day-care provider.
Robin Johnson, 32, of Monroe, was charged Thursday in Snohomish County Superior Court with homicide by abuse. Prosecutors allege Johnson repeatedly abused Charlotte Wetzel before killing her June 3. Since January, Charlotte had attended the day-care center that Johnson operated at her home.
"We need to speak out about this abuse that goes on, and stop it," Milynn Wetzel, Charlotte's father, said yesterday. "Don't believe any excuses (for injuries or unusual behavior in your children). Take your child right away to a doctor or child-abuse specialist."
Margot Wetzel added that parents should not take for granted even a small bruise on their child.
Child abuse, she said, "is something you don't want to think about. But you have to think about it."
Like the Wetzels, several in yesterday's crowd wore T-shirts with photographs of children whose deaths had been linked to unusual circumstances at day-care operations.
Michael and Ramona New of Bothell lost their son, Benjamin Tod New, in November 1994 while he was in day care. The day-care provider was charged in the death, then acquitted.
Michelle Hunt of Buckley in Pierce County lost a young son, Todd Hunt, in January 1994 and subsequently received an out-of-court settlement from a day-care operator. Hunt has become a lobbyist in Olympia for Washington Parents for Safe Day-Care.
A mile-long, police-escorted procession, from the Fred Meyer store to downtown Monroe and back, ended with a short prayer service.
Many of the people the group passed gave a thumbs-up gesture or paused to inquire about the walk.
"Be aware there are people in this world who are out of control," Len Smolen, a grief counselor, told the gathering after the procession. "Today is about awareness. But it also is about healing, for the families and for the community."
The Wetzels said they were pleased with the support they have received since their daughter's death.
"We have flowers on our porch brought by people who care for us," said Margot Wetzel. "People all over the country are responding."
Day-Care Operator Pleads Not Guilty -- Trial Set For October In Monroe Girl's Death
By Anne Koch
Seattle Times Snohomish County Bureau
Tuesday, June 16, 1998
EVERETT - A woman charged with fatally abusing a Monroe toddler is expected to stand trial in October.
Robin Johnson, 32, entered a not-guilty plea yesterday in Snohomish County Superior Court. Johnson, of Monroe, appeared before Judge Joseph Thibodeau by video from the Snohomish County Jail.
Wearing a blue jail uniform, Johnson appeared drained but composed as she told the judge she understood she was giving up her right to a speedy trial. Her lawyer, Royce Ferguson, said he wants extra time to have his client evaluated by mental-health professionals, a process that began Friday. He has said he will explore whether Johnson was suffering from postpartum depression.
Johnson was charged late last week with homicide by abuse in the June 3 death of 16-month-old Charlotte Wetzel, who attended the day-care center Johnson ran out of her home. The child died of a heavy blow to the abdomen, the King County Medical Examiner's Office determined.
Prosecutors allege Johnson, a mother herself, abused children in her care beginning in early 1997, soon after she opened the center. She resented the time the other children took away from her own three children, the charges allege.
On June 3, Johnson felt "irritated" when Charlotte was dropped off, and eventually kicked and stomped her in the stomach, according to charges. She called medics around lunchtime to report that the child was not breathing. Charlotte was taken to a local hospital, then airlifted to Children's Hospital & Regional Medical Center in Seattle, where she was pronounced dead.
Johnson continued to be on suicide watch at the jail, where she is being held in lieu of $250,000 cash-only bail. Her trial is set for Oct. 9. A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 6.
Homicide by abuse carries a standard sentencing range of 20 years to about 26 years in prison.
Dedication In Honor Of Slain Child
Seattle TimesSnohomish Briefly
Thursday, September 17, 1998
MONROE - The parents and friends of 16-month-old Charlotte Wetzel plan to hold a dedication in her honor at Blueberry Lane Park this weekend.
Charlotte died in June of a heavy blow to the abdomen.
Robin Johnson, 33, the owner of the Monroe day-care program Charlotte attended, has been charged with homicide-by-abuse. She is scheduled to go to trial next month.
Charlotte's supporters will dedicate playground equipment in her name at 11 a.m. Saturday. A family picnic will follow; the public is invited.
Pamela Eakes, founder and president of Mothers Against Violence in America, and Monroe Mayor Bob Holeman are expected to attend.
Charlotte's parents, Margot and Milynn Wetzel, have started a foundation in their daughter's name. One of its projects is to raise money for playground equipment to be dedicated at local parks in the names of child-abuse victims.
Guilty Plea In Toddler's Death -- Monroe Caregiver Admits Abuse; Could Get 20 Years
By Anne Koch
Seattle Times Snohomish County Bureau
Wednesday, October 7, 1998
EVERETT - Now that a Monroe woman has pleaded guilty to killing a 16-month-old girl under her care, her attorney will fight for a lower-than-usual prison term, arguing the crime was not intentional.
Robin Johnson told a Snohomish County judge yesterday she was guilty of homicide by abuse in the June 3 death of Charlotte Wetzel.
Johnson cared for Charlotte for about 4 1/2 months at her home day-care center. Speaking in a quiet but composed voice, she acknowledged to the judge that on June 3 she kicked the child in the stomach with her heel and stomped once on her stomach.
She abused Charlotte about five times in the preceding several months, pulling her hair, hitting her and kicking her in the ribs - causing her to vomit, she said.
Johnson's husband, who is caring for the couple's two young daughters and Johnson's teenage son, was in the audience when the plea was entered and left quickly afterward.
Deputy Prosecutor Jo Vanderlee told Superior Court Judge James Allendoerfer she will recommend that Johnson, 33, be sentenced to 20 years in prison, the low end of the sentencing range for the crime.
Johnson's lawyer, Royce Ferguson of Everett, told the judge he was reserving the right to recommend Johnson be given a sentence lower than the standard range of 20 to 26 years. He said he probably would seek a sentence equivalent to manslaughter, arguing that the crime was the result of negligence rather than intent.
Afterward, Ferguson said he would ask for about 10 years because Johnson has suffered from mental problems. His client was sexually and physically abused as a child and was suffering from major depression at the time of Charlotte's death, Ferguson said. Not seeking treatment was negligent, he said.
Johnson pleaded guilty because she "wants to do the right thing," Ferguson said.
"She really never intended to kill anybody," the lawyer said. "She's not a terrible person. . . . She was struggling. She was drowning with her own problems and took it out on this little baby."
Johnson was co-owner of Robin's Day Care, which she operated from her home for about two years. Throughout that time, she cared for fewer than a dozen children.
Charlotte's parents, Margot and Milynn Wetzel, placed their child in Johnson's care in January.
At the time of her death, Charlotte was the only child in Johnson's care except for Johnson's own children.
Charlotte died from a heavy blow to the abdomen, according to the King County Medical Examiner's Office.
Johnson resented the time the day-care children took away from her own kids and felt overwhelming anger and irritation toward them, court documents allege.
After Johnson's arrest, Monroe Police looked into other allegations of abuse but found no evidence of other incidents, said Cmdr. Steve Seibert.
Since their daughter's death, Margot and Milynn Wetzel have thrown themselves into raising awareness about child abuse. They didn't attend yesterday's hearing but plan to be at Johnson's Dec. 10 sentencing. Margot Wetzel said she will ask the judge for a sentence of about 30 years.
When that's over, she said, "we'll be able to move on a little bit."
The homicide-by-abuse law was sparked by the death of Eli Creekmore, 3, of Everett, who was kicked to death by his father in 1986 after authorities removed the boy from his home several times, then returned him. To win a conviction, prosecutors must show a defendant engaged in a pattern of assault, abuse and torture
Monroe Day-Care Owner Gets 20 Years In Toddler's Death
By Anne Koch
Seattle Times Snohomish County Bureau
Friday, December 11, 1998
EVERETT - If everything had gone the way it was supposed to, Charlotte Wetzel would be turning 2 years old early next month.
But instead of birthday presents and gleeful celebration, Jan. 7 will be a day filled with intense sorrow, the child's mother told a Snohomish County judge yesterday.
Charlotte was kicked and stomped to death last summer by her day-care provider.
"I will have to go to (visit) her grave," Margot Wetzel told Superior Court Judge James Allendoerfer. "It will be one of the hardest days of my life. . . . I had so many dreams and hopes for my child. Now they are gone forever."
Wetzel was one of five people to speak yesterday at the sentencing of Robin Johnson, a 33-year-old Monroe woman who acknowledged causing Charlotte's death. Johnson in October pleaded guilty to homicide by abuse, a charge created in 1987 after the death of 3-year-old Eli Creekmore of Everett, who was kicked to death by his father.
The crime carries a standard sentence of 20 to 26-plus years, and Allendoerfer sentenced Johnson to 20 years in prison. In doing so he followed the recommendation of Deputy Prosecutor Jo Vanderlee, who agreed to the low end of the range after Johnson pleaded guilty and spared the Wetzel family a trial.
The judge rejected defense attorney Royce Ferguson's contention that the crime didn't reveal evil intent but rather showed extreme recklessness by a woman who was suffering from depression and other mental problems.
Ferguson urged the judge to give Johnson 10 to 12 years in prison, comparable to a sentence for first-degree manslaughter.
But after reading reports from two psychologists who evaluated Johnson, as well as dozens of letters, Allendoerfer said he was convinced the evidence showed that Johnson - while severely depressed and disturbed - knew that her continuing abuse of children in her care was wrong.
"She was clearly aware that she had a problem" and didn't get help, the judge concluded.
Johnson, who operated a day-care center out of her home beginning in August 1996, said she abused two children in her care before Charlotte. But she acknowledged the abuse was greater with Charlotte, who, for reasons she didn't understand, brought out her anger.
On June 3, the day the child died, Johnson admitted kicking her in the stomach with her heel and stomping on her. In previous incidents, Johnson pulled the girl's hair, backhanded her, pushed her down and kicked her in the ribs, causing her to vomit, Johnson said.
In her plea paperwork, Johnson wrote: "I believe the overwhelming anger and irritation towards the . . . (day-care) children stem from feelings of not having enough time for my own children due to having to meet the day-care children's demanding needs."
Before she was sentenced yesterday, Johnson tearfully expressed remorse:
"I will always, always regret what I've done. Nothing I can say will ever bring her back or make up for what I've done. I know I need to be punished. . . . I stand before you and beg for leniency because I have three children that really need me."
Johnson's husband, Dwight, told the judge that his wife was a "compassionate, caring" person who was greatly stressed and mentally unstable at the time of Charlotte's death. He said his wife needed psychiatric help, not prison.
But Ann Bergstrom, an Edmonds woman who once hired Margot Wetzel as a nanny to care for her own two daughters, urged the judge to impose a minimum of 30 years in prison.
"Right now, (Margot and her husband, Milynn Wetzel) should be thinking about what toys should be under the tree for their little girl. . . . But because of the actions of Robin Johnson, there will be no toys under the Christmas tree at the Wetzels' house. Christmas will be survived, not celebrated," Bergstrom said.
At the end of the hearing, Dwight Johnson approached Margot Wetzel and the two embraced for about two minutes, both weeping.
The Wetzels have established a Web site to raise awareness about child abuse. The address is: www.charlottewetzel.com
March To Memorialize Abuse Victims
Friday, June 11, 1999
Seattle Times
Pacific Northwest
MONROE - A community march is set for tomorrow in remembrance of 16-month-old Charlotte Wetzel and other child-abuse victims.
Charlotte died last year after being kicked in the stomach and stomped on by her day-care provider. Robin Johnson, 33, of Monroe pleaded guilty to homicide by abuse and was sentenced in December to 20 years in prison.
