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Mom blames housemate, fear of satanic cult for death of son

Religion News Blog, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Aug. 1, 2008 News Summary
www.religionnewsblog.com

ReligionNewsBlog.com • Friday August 1, 2008

Friend preyed on defendant’s fears: expert

A Tucson woman who is accused of killing her 5-year-old son was thoroughly brainwashed into believing a satanic cult was out to kill her and her son, and those closest to her were part of the plot, a forensic psychologist told jurors Wednesday.
Diane Marsh was so fearful she went on two multistate trips and wrote down the license plates of every vehicle she thought was suspicious, Stephen Golding testified.
Marsh, 41, is charged with first-degree murder and multiple counts of child abuse in the March 2007 death of her son, Brandon Williams.
[...]
On Wednesday, jurors heard from Golding, a retired University of Utah psychology professor who now operates a consulting firm.
Before interviewing Marsh, Golding said he read numerous police reports, witness statements and medical reports.
Golding came to the conclusion that Marsh underwent a radical personality change after she met Tompson and Moss in August 2006.
She stopped taking her son to his doctor appointments, withdrew him from school and developed some “wacky” beliefs, Golding said.
Specifically, Marsh came to believe her pastor was a high priest in a satanic cult, and the cult wanted to sacrifice Brandon, Golding said.
Marsh thought Tompson was the only thing that stood between her and Brandon and death, Golding said.
Tompson did and said numerous things to reinforce Marsh’s fears, Golding said.

- Source: Friend preyed on defendant’s fears: expert, Kim Smith, Arizona Daily Star, USA, July 31, 2008 — Summarized by Religion News Blog

Mom blames housemate, fear of satanic cult for son’s death

Diane Lynn Marsh, a Tucson woman accused of abusing and killing her 5-year-old autistic son, isn’t to blame for Brandon Williams’ death in March 2007, her defense attorney says.
“She loved her son,” Pima County Assistant Public Defender Steve Sonenberg said in his closing argument Thursday.
“She was a victim herself of mind control,” Sonenberg said.
The jury received instructions Thursday and was to start deliberations Friday.
Marsh, 41, testified earlier Thursday that every bad act that happened to her son – being tied to his bedposts, having his feet scalded in hot water and dying from a blow to the head – was the result of her housemate Flower Tompson’s power over her.
Deputy Pima County Attorney Shawn Jensvold told jurors in his closing argument that Marsh “probably snapped” because she wasn’t taking her medications for depression and wasn’t giving Brandon his, which caused him to be more hyperactive than usual.
“She clearly loved her son,” Jensvold said. “A mother is supposed to love her son.
“Loving people do bad things when the circumstances get tough,” Jensvold said.
Jensvold labeled as a smokescreen testimony by Marsh regarding Marsh’s fear of a murderous satanic cult that was supposedly after her and her son.
“The defense and anything else Miss Marsh said to minimize her behavior is not a defense. They’re excuses,” Jensvold said.
“There’s no excuse for tying a boy to a bed frame, whether it’s to get out the satanic influences or teach him a lesson, or put a child in scalding water until the skin on his feet peel off. And it’s certainly no excuse for pushing a child down on a tile floor and killing him,” Jensvold said.
Marsh is accused of first-degree murder and four counts of child abuse in the death of her son.
Brandon was taken to a hospital March 22, 2007, where he died of blunt force trauma to his head, chest, abdomen and limbs, according to an autopsy report.
Tompson, 28, who didn’t testify, was indicted on first-degree murder and child abuse charges, but agreed to plead guilty to child abuse. She faces five to 15 years in prison when she is sentenced Sept. 2.
Marsh testified she met Tompson through a mutual friend in August 2006. By month’s end, Tompson had Marsh convinced she was involved in a satanic group that Marsh feared would kill Brandon, she said.
Tompson told Marsh “satanic groups had to kill a family member, persons who were true blood” Marsh testified.
Within a couple of months of meeting Tompson, Marsh testified, she became estranged from everyone she knew, including a pastor she was convinced was part of the satanic group.
At one point, Marsh testified, she and Tompson took a three-day trip to New Mexico, Colorado and Utah in search of “high priests” whose license plate numbers they would give to a mysterious juvenile probation officer in Tucson who would have them arrested.
Marsh never met the probation officer, saying she just heard about him through Tompson.
Marsh testified she told friends she feared Brandon would be killed by the satanic group.