Young mom was lost, father says

Published 9:00 am Thursday, June 21, 2007

Bonnie Desmond is a devout Christian who grew up attending Stanwood schools.

She had little experience in parenting skills, and as a teenager she never even baby-sat, her father, Rick Desmond of Everett, said Wednesday.

She did not intend to hurt her 4-month-old son, Noah James Petersen.

“She simply was not trained in infant handling skills,” Rick Desmond said.

Bonnie Desmond, 19, remained in jail Wednesday with bail set at $500,000, despite pleas from her family that she be allowed to join them in grieving her baby’s death.

The Lake Stevens woman is charged with first-degree manslaughter.

On Monday, Desmond told police she used adhesive tape to hold a pacifier in the infant’s mouth before putting him down to sleep Sunday, according to police documents. She also fed the baby peanut butter on Sunday.

Most pediatricians recommend waiting until children are about 2 years old before feeding them peanut butter, said Dr. Agnes Wong, of the Children’s Clinic of South Snohomish County.

Many children have peanut allergies, she said. They also can choke.

Rick Desmond said the piece of adhesive tape his daughter used to hold Noah’s pacifier in place was a “little tiny piece of Scotch tape.”

She was trying to find a mechanical way to hold the pacifier in place, he said. There was no malicious intent.

Now, she’s alone to face her grief and the manslaughter charges, Rick Desmond said.

The family doesn’t have the means to bail her out.

“She’s mourning the death of the baby from within the concrete walls and steel bars,” he said.

Evidence suggests the boy’s death was a crime of violence, Snohomish County chief criminal deputy prosecutor Joan Cavagnaro argued in court Wednesday.

Detectives found multiple pacifiers in the home, and some of those showed signs of having been taped to the child before, she said.

In addition, there is evidence that Bonnie Desmond bound her child the night before the boy’s death, Cavagnaro said.

If convicted as charged, she could face 61/2 to 81/2 years behind bars, prosecutors said, and that gives her a substantial motivation to flee.

Bonnie Desmond will stay put because all of her family lives here, defense attorney Mark Stephens told the judge.

If released, Bonnie Desmond would live with her mother in Stanwood, in the home where she grew up, Stephens said.

Before her pregnancy, Bonnie Desmond was attending Stanwood schools and participating in the Running Start program at Everett Community College, her lawyer said. She intended to return to school this fall to complete her high school credits and continue work toward a college degree.

The courtroom was packed Wednesday with relatives and friends of Bonnie Desmond, all apparently urging her release.

Among those present was Justin Petersen, 20. He is Desmond’s fiance and the baby’s father.

Stephens read a letter to the court from the young father, who implored the judge to allow his fiance to mourn their child among those who love her.

“I believe there is a time for everything under the sun, and now is a time for grieving,” Petersen’s letter said.

As a witness to the alleged crime, Petersen is barred from any contact with Bonnie Desmond.

Still, he asked for her release.

“From the bottom of my heart, please let my Bonnie be with her family,” his letter said.

Reporter Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3437 or jholtz@ heraldnet.com.