Just Case Studies: A Mother's Tale Part 2_018

Just Science

Season two, episode four of Just Science involves a case through the eyes of an investigator. Mike Weber, an investigator with the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office in the Crimes Against Children Unit, walks us through a case involving Munchausen Syndrome by proxy. Munchausen Syndrome by proxy is a rare form of child or elderly abuse where a primary caretaker exaggerates or creates their victim’s symptoms of illnesses, in this case through manipulation, deceit, and forgery. Not much is known about this type of crime because it is so rarely recognized and so difficult to prosecute. Listen along as Investigator Weber navigates us through his journey to justice in this horrific case involving an abusive and attention crazed chemist, a poisoned child, and an investigator who wants justice. In part 2 we navigate this dramatic rollercoaster of a case, filled with deceit and cliffhangers that seem more like fiction than reality. We left off with the victim being tested in the hospital and Hope’s story starting to unravel... This season of Just Science is funded by the National Institute of Justice’s Forensic Technology Center of Excellence [Award 2016-MU-BX-K110].