Beach woman charged in death of 9-month-old foster son

Beach woman charged in death of 9-month-old foster son

Posted to: Crime News Virginia Beach

Kathleen Ganiere was charged after her 9-month-old foster son died after being found unresponsive in his crib.

Go to the Portsmouth crime database
By Cindy Clayton
Jen McCaffery
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 13, 2010
VIRGINIA BEACH

A woman has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of her 9-month-old foster son, who died Sunday after being found unresponsive in his crib, police said.

Paramedics were called to the Glenville Circle home of Kathleen S. Ganiere last Saturday, police wrote in a news release.

When they arrived, they found Braxton M. Taylor unresponsive in his crib.

The infant was taken to a hospital, then transferred to Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, where he died Sunday afternoon.

The medical examiner ruled that the baby died as a result of being shaken, police wrote.

Investigators arrested and charged Ganiere, 28, on Thursday, the news release said.

She is being held without bond.

"This is not a common occurrence," said Officer Margie Hobbs, a police spokeswoman.

Carissa Frasca Cuttrell, a city spokeswoman, would not comment on how long Ganiere had been a foster parent or whether she cared for other children.

"Anything related to this incident I'm not allowed to discuss because of state confidentiality laws," she said.

She said, however, that the city has a nine-week training program for foster parents, performs criminal background checks on them and provides a network of resources.

http://hamptonroads.com.nyud.net/2010/02/beach-woman-charged-death-9monthold-foster-son