The trial for a Springfield woman charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with the 2022 death of an 8-month-old boy in her care is happening this week in Greene County Circuit Judge Todd Myers' courtroom.
UPDATE: Jury finds Springfield daycare provider guilty of manslaughter for baby’s death
Deborah Lundstrom, 49, was operating an unlicensed child care operation out of her home on the 2800 block of North Washington Avenue in Springfield on March 2, 2022. According to her indictment, she allegedly was caring for nine children under the age of 3 when she left them in her home for about 12 minutes.
Before leaving, Lundstrom allegedly placed the 8-month-old in a car seat. When she returned, she discovered the baby was not breathing and called 911.
Dr. Deiter Duff, the Greene County Medical Examiner, testified Tuesday the baby’s cause of death was asphyxiation due to strangulation caused by the car seat’s buckle and strap. Duff spoke in detail about the marks on the baby’s neck that matched the car seat’s buckle and strap.
In addition to the involuntary manslaughter charge, Lundstrom also faces nine counts of endangering the welfare of a child and one count of operating a child care facility without a license.
Prosecutor: Lundstrom lied to police twice
The trial began Tuesday morning with opening statements from Greene County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Elizabeth Fax.
According to Fax, Lundstrom had nine children in her care on March 2, 2022 when she strapped most of them into car seats and left some of the toddlers unrestrained while she left the home for 12 minutes. Within about 10 minutes of Lundstrom returning to the house, she found 8-month-old Coleman Shirley unresponsive.
Fax said Lundstrom first dialed “9-1” and then called her 18-year-old daughter instead. Lundstrom then tried to contact Coleman Shirley’s mother, and then called “9-1-1.”
In her opening remarks, Fax said footage from Springfield police officers’ body cameras and from police interviews will show Lundstrom first told responding officers that she took all nine children with her in a van to pick up her son from school. Officers found the van in the garage, covered with dust and filled with food, Fax said.
Fax said videos will also show Lundstrom changed her story, telling an investigator that she put all of the children in her Toyota Camry and brought them all with her to pick up her son.
Officers noticed a security camera system at the Lundstrom home, Fax said. When officers viewed the footage from those cameras, they allegedly saw that Lundstrom left the home by herself — no children in her vehicle — and was gone for 12 minutes.
“She made the choice to leave them unattended,” Fax said. “Coleman Shirley died because he was left in his car seat unattended.”
Fax told the jury that Coleman was “just shy of nine months” of age when he died.
“His family will never have the privilege of seeing him grow up,” Fax said.
Defense attorney: State must rule out all logical possibilities
Shane Paul Cantin, one of Lundstrom’s attorneys, also gave an opening statement Tuesday morning.
“That Coleman’s death is tragic and sad and terrible is not in dispute,” Cantin said, adding that prosecutors have charged Lundstrom with 11 crimes.
“In this case, the prosecutors have to rule out all the logical possibilities that are reasonable doubt,” Cantin said.
Cantin then listed some of those “logical possibilities,” including that Lundstrom’s 18-year-old daughter, Maleah Lundstrom, was home at the time the child was left in the car seat or that Lundstrom believed her 18-year-old daughter was home.
Another logical possibility, according to Cantin, was Lundstrom placing the child in the car seat did not create a “substantial risk” to the baby’s life.
“Hindsight is 20/20,” Cantin said, adding that the prosecutors must prove Lundstrom recognized the risk.
Cantin said it’s possible the baby stopped breathing after Lundstrom returned home from picking up her son.
Cantin told the jury there is no evidence Lundstrom’s daughter left the house that day, and that it’s possible Maleah Lundstrom was actually present at the time the baby died.
“You will not hear any evidence that Deborah knew the risk Coleman would die,” Cantin said to the jury. “Deborah is presumed innocent [...] until you all decide she is guilty of something.”
Jury selection happened on Monday
It took the full day Feb. 26 to select seven men and six women for the jury from a pool of 70 Greene County residents.
By mid-afternoon Monday, it was clear the idea of serving on a jury for a case involving the death of a child was too much for some to bear.
While being questioned by Lundstrom’s defense attorney, Erica Mynarich, one woman stood up and said she wasn’t sure she could serve on the jury and that she’s been thinking about her own baby — an 11-month-old who was at a day care center as the trial started.
“I’ve been thinking about my daughter this whole time,” she said.
Mynarich asked the woman if she thought she would have trouble focusing on evidence and testimony, the woman said yes.
Another man said he had been thinking of his young grandchildren throughout the day.
“If something were to happen to them, I couldn’t forgive the person responsible,” he said.
Mynarich asked the man if he thought serving on a trial for a different type of case might be a “better fit.” The man’s voice cracked when he responded yes.
“You are getting emotional right now,” Mynarich said to the man. He again responded yes.
Potential jurors were questioned by Lundstrom’s defense attorney about their thoughts on Lundstrom’s right to not testify and the presumption of innocence. Several potential jurors seemed to take issue with the idea of a defendant not wanting to testify. As of Tuesday afternoon, it was not clear if Lundstrom intends to testify or not.
“If you have nothing to hide, you are going to testify,” one potential juror said.
Potential jurors were asked if they’d ever left a child in a car seat while carrying in groceries or to let the child finish sleeping.
They were also asked if they knew about the risks of asphyxiation for children left in car seats. Of the 70 potential jurors, 17 people raised their hands indicating they knew of the risks.
“It’s literally on the sticker,” on car seats, one person said.
Parents take witness stand on first day
Nine parents of children who were in the Lundstrom home on March 2, 2022, were called to testify at trial Tuesday — including Rachel Shirley, the mother of Coleman Shirley.
The parents each testified that Lundstrom met them at the front door when they picked up and dropped off their children. They testified Lundstrom had a baby gate at the entrance of her home and parents did not come inside.
Some parents testified they believed or were told that Lundstrom was caring for four other children other than their own. One parent testified Lundstrom told him she cared for six children.
Several of the parents testified they believed Lundstrom was a licensed child care provider. Others said they didn’t know.
All of the parents called to the stand on Feb. 27 testified that they had a financial agreement with Lundstrom and no one else to take care of and be responsible for their child.
Rachel Shirley testified that her son, Coleman, did not have any medical issues on the day of his death, and did not have any known medical issues prior to his death.
Lundstrom’s daughter takes the stand
Maleah Lundstrom was 18 at the time of Coleman Shirley’s death. Now 20, she was called to testify by prosecutors.
Maleah Lundstrom said she was living with her mom in 2022, and that her then-boyfriend was living in the basement.
Maleah Lundstrom said her then-boyfriend got off work around noon on March 2, 2022. When he got to the house, the two of them went out to eat and then went to walk on the trail near Sequiota Park in southeast Springfield.
She testified that it was not her responsibility to care for the children at her mom’s in-home day care.
Mynarich questioned Maleah Lundstrom about whether or not she and her mother would call or text each other while they were both at home.
At one point, Mynarich asked Maleah Lundstrom if she recalled telling one of Deborah Lundstrom’s friends that Maleah Lundstrom was home when the child stopped breathing.
“I did not tell him that,” Maleah Lundstrom said.
Mynarich asked Maleah Lundstrom if Maleah was sure her mother heard her say goodbye that day.
“Not that I recall,” Maleah Lundstrom answered.
The Hauxeda will continue to cover the Deborah Lundstrom trial.
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