Dr. H. Wayne Carver told prosecutors, the defense and Judge William Bright he had not seen other children sustain the same type of injuries 7-month-old Michael Brown Jr. sustained from his reported “fall” while in foster care in Mansfield.

Monday was the sixth day of an originally scheduled 10-day trial in Rockville Superior Court against 44-year-old Suzanne Listro, of 260 Stearns Road, Mansfield.

Listro was charged July 16, 2008, with first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor for the death of Brown Jr. and pleaded not guilty in December.

Bright has offered to extend the trial until March 16 due to witness scheduling conflicts from both the prosecution and the defense.

If the trial is extended, Listro’s bench trial - in which Bright will hear and try the case alone - will have lasted 12 days. All trial proceedings are taking place in Rockville Superior Court.

Carver conducted the autopsy on Brown Jr. and reported the infant died of a “blunt traumatic head injury.” He ruled the death a homicide.

“Most of my contact with kids (who suffered from) short falls is in the emergency department stitching up their scalps,” he said.

During his testimony, Carver showed Brown Jr.’s autopsy photos to describe the bleeding, retinal hemorrhaging and optic nerve damage Brown sustained.

Listro wiped away tears from her eyes after she looked at the graphic medical photos of Brown’s injuries.

Brown Jr. was in Listro’s care for a week when he “fell off the bed” and died May 19, 2008, according to Listro’s statement to police.

According to Carver, if Brown Jr. did fall, he should have had a “marker” on the back of his head from the impact.

“It should have left a marker,” he said. “It should have left visible bleeding under the scalp.”

However, Brown Jr. suffered a subdural hematoma at the top of his skull - near his “soft spot” - but there were no other injuries found on the child.

In previous testimony, Dr. Paul Kanev, director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, testified he had withdrawn almost 5 ounces of blood from the child’s head to reduce the pressure on his brain.

During cross-examination, Carver told Hubert Santos, one of Listro’s attorneys, that he did not know the exact cause of Brown’s death, but he believed Brown Jr. did receive “blunt force” to the head.

“My opinion is a great deal of energy went into this kid’s head,” he said. “I don’t know how.”

He said shaken baby syndrome - which is what prosecutors are indicating as the cause of death in this case - is one of several ways the infant could have sustained the deadly subdural hematoma.

Santos focused on those other conclusions to emphasize Brown Jr.’s exact cause of death had not been determined.

“The bottom line is we don’t know all we should know about how the brain reacts to trauma,” said Santos.

Under cross-examination, Carver said he did not see “grip marks,” inexplicable cruising or contusions that would directly identify the infant had potentially been shaken or struck against any item.

In addition to Carver - who is scheduled to continue testimony today in Rockville Superior Court when court reopens at 2 p.m. - child-care providers who saw Brown Jr. the day he died also testified Monday.

According to Linda Kelly, infant teacher at the Mansfield Discovery Depot, Brown Jr. appeared “normal” that Monday and was settling in at the daycare center well.

“I didn’t see anything unusual about him,” she said.

Kelly said the infant had the “wide-eye look” of the new kid in class.

She said he was “observing the whole time” and was not “fussy” during the day unless he was hungry.

The half-court drills were intense. The red squad consisting of substitutes also featured former Husky standout Donny Marshall.

One white squad of Donnell Beverly, Darius Smith, Gavin Edwards, Ater Majok and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel stood out by swinging the ball for open perimeter looks. The other white squad of Jerome Dyson, Alex Oriakhi, Charles Okwandu, Kemba Walker and Stanley Robinson displayed a bit more dashing, driving and dumping for layups and dunks.

Was Calhoun tipping his hand in reference to which white-clad unit might start today at approximately 2:30 p.m. (ESPN, WILI 1400-AM, WTIC 1080-AM) when the 12th-seeded Huskies (17-14 overall, 7-11 league) tangle with No. 13 St. John’s (16-14, 6-12) in a first-round Big East Conference tournament game at Madison Square Garden in New York?

To be honest, not even Calhoun knows who will start. More importantly, he’s just looking for someone to finish strong as the reeling Huskies enter another stretch where they hope to salvage a season gone horribly awry.

“As far as the starting team, we keep changing that today based on what individuals are doing in certain drills,” admitted Calhoun, who will take a squad that limped to an 0-3 finish to the regular season, losing Big East games to Louisville, Notre Dame and South Florida, to The World’s Most Famous Arena where the Huskies have not won a tourney title game since 2005, a span of four consecutive first-game losses. “As I think more about it, I don’t know if that’s important.

“I think it’s more important how we play the game, whoever’s on the court, that will be determined by me watching how they’re playing. You’ve got to play hard.”

Three days after Calhoun pulled his starters from the floor with 16:04 remaining in Saturday’s eventual loss to South Florida and kept seniors Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson and Gavin Edwards on the bench to the final buzzer, the Huskies will look to somehow realize their unrealized potential of a season gone bad.

A team that has shown flashes of inspired play - remember the wins over Texas and Villanova? - as well as mind-boggling stretches of laissez faire hoop - pick any one of at least a dozen contests - could come home tonight or advance all the way to Saturday night’s title tilt.

“You know, if I could ever figure this team out, then I probably wouldn’t be losing my mind,” said Calhoun. “But I have not figured them out. As I’ve said numerous times, I really like them. It’s a great group of kids, but it’s been a really different basketball team.”

“We’ve put three good games together before against really good teams so we can do that again,” said Edwards, who holds no animosity for his benching on Saturday.

Today’s winner advances to Wednesday’s second round against fifth-seeded Marquette, again at approximately 2:30 p.m.

According to the web site www.webster’s-online-dictionary.org, history is “…the aggregate of past events; the continuum of events occurring in succession leading from the past to the present and even into the future.”

Well, that road to history, that road to 71, that magical number that has been asked about in so many ways by so many, was precarious at halftime.

There was no explosive scoring run. The shots from the perimeter? They weren’t falling.

Take away Caroline Doty and Tina Charles and the top-ranked University of Connecticut women’s basketball team was shooting just 21 percent (4-of-19) from the floor.

The halftime lead stood at just three points, 25-22.

Needing to find some kind of spark, the Huskies turned to one of their biggest strengths.

That strength? Defense, defense, defense…….

And it all adds up to history in the making.

That’s the way it was at 7:55 p.m., March 8, 2010.

Senior Kalana Greene shot 6-of-9 from the floor in the second half while scoring 13 of her 15 points as history was completed for top-ranked UConn (32-0) on Monday night at the XL Center with a 59-44 defeat of No. 6 and fifth-seeded Notre Dame (27-5) as the Huskies earned their NCAA Division I record-breaking 71st consecutive victory in the semifinals of the Big East Conference tournament.

“I was non-existent in the first half,” Greene said. “I look at like I was 6-for-9. We didn’t have a great offensive night. When we play defense like we did in the second half, we’re guaranteed to win.”

The victory advances UConn to its 20th Big East title game in 22 seasons where the Huskies will face No. 9 and second-seeded West Virginia (28-4) tonight at 7 p.m. (ESPN2, WILI 1400-AM, WTIC 1080-AM).

The Mountaineers advanced to the title game with a 56-49 victory over Rutgers (19-14) in Monday’s semifinal nightcap.

Several moments stood out in the second half as UConn looked to get energized.

Leading by five points, 36-31, Greene provided two of those moments on consecutive possessions.

First, Doty stole a pass in the paint, looked up and found Greene in a full sprint the other way for a break-away layup.

Then, Greene grabbed an offensive board over Notre Dame’s Erica Williamson, faded away and banked in a 6-foot jumper, was fouled by Devereaux Peters and slid towards the UConn bench while opening up a 40-31 lead with 13:14 remaining.

All this from Greene, who was 1-for-8 from the floor in the first half.

“I can’t just sit there and shoot shots,” Greene said. “I have to find other ways to score. One of the ways I know I can score is to get on the glass and try to put it back up, keep fighting and tip balls to keep our team up.”

It was all part of a 14-3 run that ended with UConn up 49-35 with nine minutes remaining.

The Fighting Irish got no closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

“Greene hurt us a little bit and that was kind of our game plan to see if somebody else could beat us besides Charles and Moore,” Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said. “We gave her some easy around-the-basket shots.”

Husky coach Geno Auriemma said that Greene had the most shocked look on her face when assistant coach Shea Ralph said in the locker room that she was 7-for-17 from the floor.

“Kalana just had the look in her eye,” Auriemma said. “I’m not sure she’d be able to pull that off a couple of years ago.”

The 25 points scored by UConn in the first half was its lowest output in a half since the 2007 NCAA tournament Fresno Regional final against Louisiana State when the Huskies produced just 22 points.

Freshman Skylar Diggins led Notre Dame with 10 points, all in the first half.
The final minute of play saw Doty (9 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 steals) get hit in the back of the head while being inadvertently elbowed by Notre Dame’s Ashley Barlow.

Doty was down on the floor for several minutes before being led to the locker room by team trainer Rosemary Ragle and team doctor Tom Trojian. Doty is questionable for tonight’s title game.

Charles, who did not take an official shot until 9:37 remained in the first half, finished with her 10th double-double of the year while scoring 16 points and adding 17 rebounds. Junior Maya Moore added 11 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for UConn.

And what about the streak, which began with an 82-71 victory over Georgia Tech at Gampel Pavilion on November 16, 2008?

“After the season, the last game we play we can look back and see what we’ve done,” Greene said. “You don’t want to celebrate about wins. We don’t plan on our season being over any time soon.”

Long-awaited funding for the installation of train safety gates at a railroad intersection on Route 203 in South Windham was located by state transportation officials, state Rep. Susan Johnson, D-Willimantic, said this morning.

Johnson said after making multiple inquiries and writing letters to various state officials, she received a call from a state Department of Transportation liaison who indicated the funding had been found.

She said part of the hold-up was DOT officials had new regulations for the issuance of the funds.

“It’s been a long process,” Johnson said, and added that she’s attempting to get an installation date from transportation officials.

Johnson said Providence & Worcester Railroad Co. officials have discussed the possibility of increasing the number of trips and increasing the speed of the trains, but the gates should be installed regardless of those discussions.

“It’s a priority anyway,” she said.

Currently, the Providence & Worcester Railroad Co. uses flagmen, who get off the train and stop traffic at the intersection to allow the train to pass.

The DOT has been required to install advance-warning signs to notify residents of an upcoming crossing and state police have been requested to more strictly enforce the 35-mph speed limit near the crossing.

Currently warning motorists are old-fashioned flashing lights, but town officials want gates that include an automated arm swinging down to physically stop traffic.

Upon hearing the news, Town Engineer Joseph Gardner said it was “encouraging” funding had been, at least, identified.

He said he believed installing the gates would cost about $250,000, but intersection and other improvements could push the price tag higher.

He also reiterated the need for the gates.”There’s a bad sight line there,” Gardner said. “We don’t want there to be a serious accident.”

Gardner also said there had been some discussion about increasing the speed and number of trips on the line, but before the railroad did, officials are hoping to have the gates installed.

Attempts to reach DOT officials were not successful this morning.

Windham Town Manager Neal Beets said he had also heard the report from Johnson, but didn’t have additional information.

The issue of gates has been raised for a number of years, dating back to when state Rep. Walter Pawelkiewicz was in office.

In 1998, a Rhode Island man was killed when a New England Central Railroad train struck his oil tanker on another crossing near the Route 203 crossing in question.

In March 2007, P&W resumed service on the 15.02-mile line from Willimantic to Plainfield, which had been dormant for nearly two decades.

Town officials had requested safety gates with drop arms to physically stop traffic and protect motorists prior to the re-opening of the line.

Posted March 8, 2010

Windham residents were able to get a behind-the-scenes look at the newly renovated dispatch center Saturday morning after a re-opening ceremony at the Willimantic Police/Fire Complex on 22 Meadow St.

The dispatch center - located inside the Willimantic Police/Fire Complex - services the Willimantic Fire Department, Willimantic Police Department, the three Windham volunteer fire departments, the town of Franklin and Windham Community Memorial Hospital paramedics.

According to Donald Dobrowolsky, manager of the Willimantic Switchboard Fire Chiefs Association’s telecommunicators, the center staffs eight full-time and eight part-time workers and they handle 10,000 fire and EMS calls a year and 23,000 to 24,000 police calls a year.

U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, credited Finance Committee Chair for the Willimantic Switchboard Fire Chiefs Association Board of Directors, Joseph Marsalisi, with helping to secure more than $300,000 for the project, which cost $541,000.

The $541,000 was obtained through a $231,000 federal earmark, a $250,000 state grant and a $60,000 rural development federal grant.

Marsalisi brought the need to upgrade the dispatch center, which was built in 1987, to Rep. Courtney’s attention shortly after he came into office in January 2007.

“He did a fantastic job of putting together a request, which we brought to our appropriations committee,” Rep. Courtney said. “I think anyone can justify and defend getting the funding for that project.”

Marsalisi was modest about his role in the project and said he thinks of it as a group effort. “I want to tell you there are a lot of people here that did this work,” he said. “I just made the phone calls.”

One of the biggest changes to the dispatch center are technological improvements, in particular, workers switching from a push-button system to a completely digital system.

Joanne Miles, a dispatcher who has worked there for 32 years, said it’s been pretty easy to learn how to use the new equipment. “It’s pretty user-friendly,” Miles said.

Dobrowolsky said there haven’t been any major issues with the equipment since the center opened Dec. 21, 2009. “We worked out all the kinks,” he said.

Dobrowolsky said the project took two years, beginning with workers taking the center apart last July and moving it into a temporary classroom on Sept. 9, 2009.

“The work itself took about six months,” Dobrowolsky said.

With the new system, dispatchers are able to pinpoint the location of people calling from a landline, but it is still a bit more difficult to do so when receiving calls from cell phones.

“We don’t get the pinpoint locations. We get generalized areas,” Miles said.

Dispatchers, who train for about six months, deal with a variety of emergencies. Miles said a high percentage of 911 calls involve chest pains or difficulty breathing. “It runs the gamut,” Miles said.

In addition to the technological improvements, a new floor, sound-deadening wall material, new furniture and cabinets were installed.

Local officials and community members who attended the ceremony were pleased the project was finally completed and were optimistic about the future of the dispatch center.

“It’s really nice to see all of the Windhams come together,” said the Rev. Larry Lapointe, a chaplain at Eastern Connecticut State University. “It’s a real sign of unity and hope.”

Posted March 8, 2010

]]> http://willington.htnp.com/2010/03/08/renovated-dispatch-center-serves-multiple-emergency-departments/feed/ http://willington.htnp.com/2010/03/07/hebron%e2%80%99s-fire-chief-ready-to-roll-with-the-punches/ http://willington.htnp.com/2010/03/07/hebron%e2%80%99s-fire-chief-ready-to-roll-with-the-punches/#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 04:01:01 +0000 Traci Hastings | HTNP Correspondent http://willington.htnp.com/?p=2010 As part of new departmental procedures that began under Burton’s tenure, all officers reapplied for their posts.]]>

Hebron Fire Chief Fred Speno stands next the fire department’s newest truck. File photo.

Fred Speno was appointed as the chief of the Hebron Volunteer Fire Department at the Jan. 21 meeting of the board of selectmen. His appointment lasts until Sept. 30, 2012.

Speno succeeds Paul Burton, who stepped down from the post Nov. 30. Speno had been serving as interim chief, appointed by the board of selectmen after Burton’s resignation, since Dec. 3.

The Hebron Volunteer Fire Department has three companies to serve the outlying sections of town, Amston and Gilead, with the main company located in the center of Hebron on Main Street.

As part of new departmental procedures that began under Burton’s tenure, all officers reapplied for their posts.

With officers in place, Speno can now turn his attention to other departmental concerns.

“There will not be a lack of work to be done,” Speno said wryly.

For example, he said the department is moving forward with training sessions and will begin focusing on the department’s upcoming 75th anniversary, as well as continuing normal operations.

Speno said, throughout 2010, the department would celebrate its 75th birthday in the community with various public events and open houses planned during the summer and autumn.

Currently the department is also working on updating its web site, www.hebronfd.com.

This spring, the fire company is conducting CPR and AED (automated external defibrillator) classes for the community at large, in conjunction with the state Department of Public Health and the American Heart Association.

Speno, a resident of Hebron for the past 38 years, has been a member of the fire department for the last 34 years.

He said he sought to get involved with community activities as soon as he was done working on his home.

Speno also served his town by volunteering for 10 years on the board of assessment appeals, part of the time as board chairman.

Speno said, during his years as a town volunteer, he learned how to deal with different personalities and political views.

These are some of the skills that he feels will aid him in his new role as fire chief.

Jeffrey Watt, chairman of the board of selectmen, praised Speno in the weeks prior to his permanent appointment as fire chief.

Watt said Speno possessed a “good rapport” with other members of the volunteer fire department and Speno’s priority was in working toward the “best interests” of the Town of Hebron.

Speno approaches his new duties in the spirit of cooperation.

“I don’t have problems working with anyone,” Speno said. “You don’t always get what you want, so you have to learn to roll with the punches.”

Posted March 7, 2010

BOWL-A-THON
Eastern Connecticut State University will hold its Annual BOWL-A-THON at 11 a.m. at Willi Bowl on Route 6 in North Windham.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS MATINEE
“The Comedy of Errors” will be performed at 2 p.m. by the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Nafe Katter Theatre, University of  Connecticut. Tickets are $11 to $29. Call (860) 486-4799 for more information.

COLONIAL BRASS QUINTET
Eastern Connecticut State University’s performing arts department will host a concert by the Colonial Brass Quintet. The performance will be held at 3 p.m. in Shafer Auditorium, corner of Windham and Valley streets, Willimantic. Free.

PROGRESSIVE DINNER
A progressive dinner will take place at several historic Victorian homes from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Event sponsored by the Willimantic Victorian Neighborhood Association. Space is limited and reservations required. Cost is $45 per person in advance only. Send checks to WVNA, c/o Hentschel, 232 North St., Willimantic 06226.

‘WINDHAM’S LEGACY’ EVENING SHOW
“Windham’s Legacy” will take place at the Arts at the Capitol Theater, 896 Main St., Willimantic, at 7 p.m. VIP tickets cost $50 per person or $85 per couple and include orchestra seating, a two-DVD set of the documentary and reunion show and admission to an after-show social at OPUS restaurant with live jazz and hors d’oevres. General ticket prices are $25 for orchestra seats and $20 for mezzanine seats. For tickets and information, call (860) 455-9773 or visit www.windhamschoolperformingarts.com. The documentary, two-DVD set is available for purchase during and after the event. Alumni are committed to advocating for the reinstatement the choral program at Windham High School, which has been cut because of budget constraints.

WINTER BLUES FEST
A Winter Blues Fest is slated for 7 p.m. at Elk’s Club, 198 Pleasant St., Willimantic. Music by King Cake, King Pins and Patti Tuite and the Boilermakers. Cost is $20 per person available at Willimantic Food Co-op or call (860) 450-0918.

‘BREAD BOX”  FOLK MUSIC
A folk music event is slated for 7:30 p.m. Music by Cece Borjeson and Ruth George; and Bill and Kay Pere at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 220 Valley St., Willimantic. Cost is $10 tickets available at Fred’s Brickhouse Cafe on West Main Street, Willimantic, and Song-A-Day Music, Route 44, Coventry. Call (860) 429-4220 for more information.

QUIET CORNER CONTRA DANCE
All ages and experience levels welcome. No partner is necessary and dances will be taught. Please bring soft-soled shoes to dance in and water to drink, also desserts for the break. Hampton Congregational Church, 256 Main St., (Route 97), Hampton. Beginners lessons are at 7:30 p.m.; dance starts at 8 p.m. Cost is $10 for non-member adults, members $8, high school and college students $5 and children under 12 $3.

EASTERN SQUARE DANCE
The Eastern Square Dance will take place at 8 p.m. at Yeomans Hall, Columbia. Cost is $5, children under 12 free. Call (860) 228-3004 for more information.

THE COMEDY OF ERRORS
“The Comedy of Errors” will be performed at 8 p.m. by the Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Nafe Katter Theatre, University of  Connecticut. Tickets are $11 to $29. Call (860) 486-4799 for more information.

Suzanne Listro

A Hartford pathologist testified Thursday that bilateral hemorrhages are typically found in children who have endured an “inflicted trauma.”

Dr. Dean Uphoff told prosecutors, the defense and Judge William Bright that he was surprised by the extent of damage he saw to 7-month-old Michael Brown Jr. during his microscopic examinations of the infant’s brain and eyes. “They were remarkably extensive,” said Uphoff, adding he had not seen that much retinal hemorrhaging in an infant before.

Brown Jr. was in the care of former Department of Children and Families employee and Mansfield resident Suzanne Listro when he died in 2008.

Thursday [March 4] was the fifth day of a scheduled 10-day trial in Rockville Superior Court against the 43-year-old Listro, of 260 Stearns Road, Mansfield. All trial proceedings are taking place in Rockville Superior Court.

The baby Brown was in Listro’s care for a week when, according to Listro’s statement to police, he “fell off the bed” and died May 19, 2008.

Police testimony earlier in the week detailed Brown’s reported fall would have been 2 feet, 2 inches in distance, not enough to cause the scope of the fatal injuries.

According to the office of the state’s chief medical examiner, Brown Jr. died from a “blunt traumatic head injury.”

Prior to Thursday’s testimony, Dr. Paul Kanev, director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, told prosecutors Brown Jr.’s death was “non-accidental.”

Listro was charged July 16, 2008, with first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor for the death of Brown Jr. and pleaded not guilty in December.

During Thursday’s testimony, Michael Brown Sr., the infant’s father, left court several times, crying when Uphoff was detailing the amount of blood and injury Brown Jr. sustained during the May 2008 incident.

During cross-examination, Hartford attorney Hope Seeley, Listro’s counsel, tried several times to discredit Uphoff as a witness by highlighting that Uphoff has not read every scholarly article about shaken baby syndrome.

Seeley told the court Thursday there is dissent in the medical field indicating that shaking a baby alone cannot cause enough force to cause subdural hematomas, such as the one Brown Jr. sustained.

Uphoff said he was “impressed” by the amount of articles Seeley had been “fed” regarding what he called the “minority” viewpoint in the medical field.

In addition to bilateral retinal hemorrhaging, Uphoff said one of Brown Jr.’s retinas was completely detached.

When asked by Assistant State Attorney Elizabeth Leaming the significance of a detached retina, Uphoff said it is indicative of “significant trauma.”

“Retinas don’t spontaneously detach in infants,” he said.

Once Uphoff had completed his testimony, DCF employee William Seals took the stand.

Seals was the employee sent to take Brown Jr. from his East Hartford residence May 9 after three anonymous phone calls raised concern for the child’s well-being.

According to Seals, Brown Jr. appeared to be “well taken care of” in his residence and was a “joyful” baby.

Seals said Brown Jr. was placed in a temporary foster home for the weekend before he was placed in Listro’s care May 12.

He said nothing occurred during the week Brown Jr. was in Listro’s care and indicated there was nothing wrong with the child or his placement location.

Testimony for the prosecution will continue in Rockville Superior Court Monday, March 8. It is unclear if Seals would retake the stand at that time.

Posted March 5, 2010

]]> http://willington.htnp.com/2010/03/05/doctor-%e2%80%98surprised%e2%80%99-by-extent-of-baby%e2%80%99s-brain-eye-injuries/feed/ http://willington.htnp.com/2010/03/04/listro-disagreed-with-autopsy/ http://willington.htnp.com/2010/03/04/listro-disagreed-with-autopsy/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:52:14 +0000 Caitlin M. Dineen | Staff Writer http://willington.htnp.com/?p=2013 A state police detective for the Eastern District Major Crime Squad testified Wednesday the defendant implicated in the death of an infant in foster care disagreed with state medical examiner findings. Det. David Lamoureux said 43-year-old Suzanne Listro thought autopsy results — which ruled the death of 7-month-old Michael Brown Jr. a homicide — were wrong. Wednesday [...]]]>

Suzanne Listro

A state police detective for the Eastern District Major Crime Squad testified Wednesday the defendant implicated in the death of an infant in foster care disagreed with state medical examiner findings.

Det. David Lamoureux said 43-year-old Suzanne Listro thought autopsy results — which ruled the death of 7-month-old Michael Brown Jr. a homicide — were wrong.

Wednesday was the fourth day of a scheduled 10-day trial in Rockville Superior Court against Listro, a former Department of Children and Families employee, who lives at 260 Stearns Road, Mansfield.

All trial proceedings are taking place in Rockville Superior Court.

Brown Jr. was in Listro’s care for a week when he “fell off the bed” and died May 19, 2008, according to Listro’s statement to police.

Police testimony earlier in the week detailed Brown’s reported fall would have been 2 feet, 2 inches in distance.

According to the office of the state’s chief medical examiner, Brown Jr. died from a “blunt traumatic head injury.”

Prior to Wednesday’s testimony, Dr. Paul Kanev, director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, told prosecutors Brown Jr.’s death was “non-accidental.”

Listro was charged July 16, 2008, with first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor for the death of Brown Jr. and pleaded not guilty in December.

Lamoureux — who was assigned to Listro’s case — said Listro verbally disagreed with the medical examiner’s autopsy results when she was arrested that July.

“She said he was wrong,” said Lamoureux.

According to Lamoureux, Listro did not seem “surprised” when she was arrested, but thought medical reports conflicting with her statement were inaccurate.

Listro said she thought the injuries found on Brown Jr. — including bilateral retinal hemorrhaging and a subdural hematoma — were the result of CPR done to resuscitate him, said Lamoureux.

“She said maybe the injuries were caused by the CPR that evening,” he told prosecutors.

However, testimony from former Hartford Hospital employee Dr. Ronald Gross, the head of the trauma team that tried to resuscitate Brown Jr. in Hartford, indicated bilateral hemorrhaging was not typically caused by CPR.
When asked by Assistant State’s Attorney Elizabeth Leaming if he had consistently seen bilateral hemorrhaging in infant patients in a similar condition to Brown Jr., Gross replied “no.”

Gross said his specific task when Brown Jr. arrived at the hospital was to find what was wrong, fix it and save him.

“My concern was figuring out what I needed to do to keep the baby alive,” he said Wednesday.

Gross — who, according to court records, told police Brown’s injuries “did not appear consistent with the reported fall” — said he and his team decided to stop resuscitation efforts because the infant was not responding.

He said team members, who consisted of more than six hospital staff, met to discuss their efforts to save the child.

Gross said this discussion is standard practice because it “can be fairly unnerving” to lose a patient after so much effort to save them in the emergency department.

When asked by Leaming, Gross said he had not seen similar injuries to Brown’s sustained by a child from a 2 foot fall before.

In addition to Lamoureux and Gross, East Hartford-based Dr. Sheikh Ahmed and Hartford pathologist Dr. Dean Uphoff testified Wednesday.

Ahmed — who was Brown Jr.’s pediatrician — said there was nothing irregular about the infant’s growth process that raised concern about his well being.

He said he knew Angelica Burgos, Brown’s mother, had a history of mental illness and substance abuse problems while Brown developed to full term.

“You need to be more vigilant to follow those kids because if there is any problem, you don’t want to miss it,” he said.

Uphoff, whose testimony was to continue today in Rockville Superior Court, began to tell prosecutors, the defense and Judge William Bright of his findings from microscopic examinations of Brown’s brain following his death.

Testifying in Rockville Superior Court Tuesday, Michael Brown Sr. discussed the circumstances that resulted in his infant son’s placement with Suzanne Listro, the former state Department of Children and Families employee being charged in connection with the baby’s death.

Those circumstances included a drug relapse by both of Brown’s parents and a phone call to DCF regarding the well-being of the infant, according to Brown Sr.’s testimony.

Tuesday was the third day of a scheduled 10-day trial in Rockville Superior Court against the 43-year-old Listro, who lives at 260 Stearns Road, Mansfield.

Seven-month-old Michael Brown Jr. was in Listro’s care for a week when he “fell off the bed” and died, according to Listro’s statement to police.

According to the office of the state’s Chief Medical Examiner, Brown Jr. died from a “blunt traumatic head injury” and his death was ruled a homicide.

Listro was charged July 16, 2008, with first-degree manslaughter and risk of injury to a minor for the death of Brown Jr. and pleaded not guilty in December.

After Dr. Paul Kanev - director of pediatric neurosurgery at the Connecticut Children’s Medical Center - finished testifying, calling the death “non-accidental,” Michael Brown Sr. and the infant Brown’s stepbrother took the stand.

According to Brown Sr., he was awarded sole custody of the infant after the child’s birth because Brown Jr.’s mother, Angelica Burgos, had substance abuse problems and a history of mental illness.

“(DCF) wanted to put him in foster care,” he said under oath Tuesday. “But they gave me custody of the child.”

During the next five months, Brown Sr. lived up to his obligations as a father, he said in court.

Brown Sr. said he never left the child during those five months. If he had to run errands, Brown Jr. came with him, he said.

He even quit his job at the Hartford Courant so he could spend every day with his son, said Brown Sr.

From Brown Jr.’s birth in October 2007 to March 2008, Brown Sr. and Burgos were under the watchful eye of  DCF social workers, said Brown Sr.

Brown Sr. said, during that time, infant Brown regularly attended his pediatric appointments and was well taken care of.

In March 2008, the case against them was closed by DCF officials, he said.
However, once DCF was no longer involved with the family, Burgos “slipped” a “couple” of times and would use drugs.

Brown Sr. said she would leave the house for several days, “get high” and then come home.

On the evening of May 8, 2008, Brown Sr. and Burgos left infant Brown with a family friend while they “went to the movies and got some food” as he told investigators, DCF employees and other law enforcement personnel.

However, Brown Sr. told the court Tuesday he lied to officials because he was “ashamed” of what he was really doing.

According to Brown Sr., he and Burgos left their East Hartford home May 8 and returned May 10 after using drugs for two days.

“I was basically ashamed in myself after years of being clean,” he said.

When they returned home, infant Brown was already taken by DCF and put into foster care, he said. Brown Sr.’s stepson was with Brown when he was taken.

According to Brown Sr., he saw infant Brown one last time before he died May 19.

He said he was able to visit and play with the baby during an hour-long DCF-supervised visit. He said Brown looked “underweight,” but was otherwise “cheerful.”

Marco Rivera, who was 18 when Brown Jr. died, told prosecutors, the defense and Judge William Bright he missed school on May 9, 2008, to care for Brown Jr. when he was brought by his parent’s apartment.

Rivera is Brown Sr.’s stepson and half-brother to Brown Jr. “He was sleeping, perfectly fine,” he said. “He was not crying.”

Rivera said he and Brown played, watched television and napped before DCF arrived at their apartment after they received a phone call saying the infant was being neglected.

“Before everything happened, it was a perfect day,” he said.

Rivera said he always took “good” care of Brown when he was with him.
He said he would watch as the infant learned to crawl, roll and sit up with the assistance of couch cushions.

“He was my only brother,” he said as he wiped away tears from his eyes.

In addition to hearing from infant Brown’s family, other testimony came from DCF employee Michael Pitruzzello, who was called to Hartford Hospital the night Brown Jr. died.

According to Pitruzzello, he was called at 10:45 p.m. to respond to the death of the infant.

He said upon his arrival to the hospital, Listro was “slumped over” and “sobbing” after the loss of the infant.

“She felt embarrassed and ashamed,” Pitruzzello said. “She didn’t want to talk to them (family) at that time.”

Testimony for the prosecution was scheduled to continue today in Rockville Superior Court at 10 a.m.