The trial has begun for two California parents charged with second-degree murder for failing to do the bare minimum to care for their 17-year old Type 1 diabetic daughter Nanette, who slipped into a coma in April 2006 and died four days later, according to an article in Sign on San Diego.
Defense attorneys argue that Gregory Latham, 63 and Yvonne Dee Latham, 53 thought their daughter had the flu and didn’t realize the seriousness of the situation until it was too late. According to the article, the victim’s younger sister told sheriff’s investigators that Nanette couldn’t stand up during that time, wouldn’t eat, openly complained about pain in her ribs, and that her eyes would roll back in her head.
By the time the Lathams called 911, Nanette had stopped breathing, her body temperature had dropped to 89.9 degrees, her blood sugar was extremely high, she had vaginal infections and bed sores and was wearing a wet diaper. She was rushed to the hospital, where doctors said she was brain dead. The family disconnected her from life support three days later and she died.
According to the article, Nanette had a similar episode in 2001 and doctors warned the family to keep an eye on the girl’s condition. Her father is also diabetic.
Yvonne Latham told investigators that she initially didn’t call 911 because of the disgusting condition of their family’s mobile home, which was littered with animal feces. When they did arrive they wore protective gear.
Nanette’s diagnosis: diabetic ketoacidosis. The condition is caused by extremely high blood sugar levels and a lack of insulin. As a result, the body switches to burning fatty acids and making ketones. The condition is fatal in a small percentage of cases. People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin, the hormone needed to regulate the amount of sugar in the blood. Therefore, they must inject insulin with needles or an insulin pump.
In addition to second-degree murder charges, the couple faces child endangerment and allegations of corporal injury to a child resulting in death. If convicted, they face a sentence of 15 years to life. They are each being held in the Robert Presley jail in Riverside, California in lieu of $1 million bail each.
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