Mother testifies she didn't know how her infant daughter had rib fractures, facial bruising

The mother of a 46-day-old infant who suffered acute rib fractures, a broken clavicle and bruising on her face and chest, testified Wednesday in boyfriend Timothy Holderfield's trial that she didn't know how her daughter was injured.

Jennifer Woodward, tearing up at times during her testimony, said it didn't seem odd or unusual to her that Holderfield took daughter Kaitlyn, now 1-1/2 years-old, to the emergency room Jan. 20, 2011 and left her sleeping at home. She had to be at work early in the morning that next day.

"(Timothy) Shane worries about his kids," she said. "If there's a problem, he is going to solve it."

Holderfield, 26, also known as  Shane, is charged with child endangerment causing serious injury. He is accused of causing Kaitlyn's injuries, which a doctor said Tuesday was non-accidental trauma -- child abuse. The defense denies Holderfield abused the child.

The defense rested after Woodward's testimony. Holderfield declined to testify. The jury began deliberating the case around noon Wednesday.

Woodward said she worked the day Kaitlyn was taken to the hospital but was home in the evening hours. Kaitlyn had been fussy that night and she tried to calm her down and put her in her crib about 9 p.m. She also went to bed.

She was then awakened by a police officer knocking on her door. Woodward said the officer told her Kaitlyn had been hurt and she needed to come with him. He took her to the police department for questioning. An officer asked her about Holderfield's demeanor and how he was around Kaitlyn.

"My daughter was hurt and they wouldn't let me see her," Woodward said as she started tearing up. "I think the police lied to me. I thought they were taking me to the hospital."

Mike Lahammer, Holderfield's attorney, asked Woodward several questions about having epilepsy.  Lahammer said in his opening said Woodward had seizures, which made her body convulse, and suggested she may have had one, causing Kaitlyn's injuries.

Woodward said she was diagnosed with epilepsy at age 16. She developed grand mal seizures after her first child, Adam, now 2-1/2 years-old. When a seizure occurs, she has body convulsions and blacks out. She totaled her car in the past after blacking out during a seizure, she testified.

After being told about Kaitlyn's injuries, Woodward said she wondered if she could have had one while sleeping in the recliner with Kaitlyn, which frequently happened.

On cross examination, Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden asked her if she got a phone call from Holderfield while police was taking her in for questioning and the officer told her she couldn't talk to him at the moment.

Woodward said she didn't remember.

Vander Sanden asked why Holderfield didn't leave her a note or call her. Wouldn't she want to know if her child was being taken to the emergency room? he asked.

Woodward said he didn't leave a note or call. She would want to know if her child was injured. She then denied seeing bruises on Kaitlyn's face, which a doctor testified Tuesday as being consistent with a handprint on her face while photos were shown to the jury of the bruises.

Woodward said Kaitlyn may have had a bruise on chin a day or two before she was taken to the hospital.

Vander Sanden asked if she told police Holderfield may have swaddled Kaitlyn too tightly, which may have caused the injuries.

"I didn't tell them that happened....I assumed that might have happened," Woodward said.

Woodward said Holderfield told her later he may have swaddled her too tight.

The couple both would swaddle Kaitlyn, Woodward said. Their pediatrician told them it makes infants feel more comfortable, like they are being held by a parent.