Pa. Woman Charged In Alcohol Poisoning Death Of Her Baby, Who Had Blood-Alcohol Level Of .205

A Tunkhannock Township woman was charged Tuesday with the death of her baby by alcohol poisoning.

Jessica Ann Miner, 26, of 127 Church Road, Tunkhannock, formerly of Susquehanna County, faces charges of involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering the life of another person and endangering the welfare of a child.

Miner is accused of giving alcohol to her six-month old son, Mason D. Miner, on Dec. 10, 2007.

A coroner's inquest in March determined the baby had a blood alcohol level of .205 percent when he died.

Magisterial District Judge John Hovan released Miner on $25,000 unsecured bail. Her preliminary hearing is set for Thursday, May 21, at 1 p.m.

According to Wyoming County District Attorney George Skumanick Jr., Miner was charged under her maiden name, Jessica Ann Barlow, her name at the time of the alleged incident. Her defense attorney, Paul Ackourey, said she and the baby's father, John Miner, were married early in 2008.


Skumanick said investigators are still working to determine exactly what type of alcohol was given to the child, and how. However, he said he was certain that Jessica Miner was responsible.

He noted that when the initial blood alcohol tests came back, officials were amazed by the level.

"The blood alcohol was so high the lab actually tested it again," Skumanick said. When the second test confirmed the first, investigators sent the sample to an independent laboratory for a third test to make sure.

The DA said a manslaughter was appropriate because Miner did not intend to kill her child. As to why she gave the baby alcohol in the first place, Skumanick would not speculate.

"You'll have to ask her that," he said.

Miner would not comment on the charges. However, Ackourey said Miner maintains she had nothing to do with the baby's death.

"She's indicated that she's innocent and she's said that from the beginning," Ackourey said. "I'm confident that she'll be acquitted."

Ackourey said the prosecution's evidence is tenuous.

"I think the fact that it has taken a year and a half to bring the charges indicates there are some flaws in their case," he said.

According to the criminal complaint, township police were called to an apartment along Route 29, where the baby was discovered dead. When Miner was interviewed a short time later, she told police she gave the baby liquid acetaminophen the day before.

Miner told police she nursed the baby once during the night, and he was fine at the time.

The next morning, she told police she checked Mason and found he was congested and his lips were blue. She said she called 911, and a neighbor did CPR.

She also told police she called the baby's father and told him the baby wasn't breathing.

Police searched the couple's apartment that afternoon, and found 12 empty beer cans in the kitchen trash. (source)