Episode 59: Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy (Part 2)

Suffer the Little Children

Most of us have heard of Munchausen syndrome by proxy thanks to its prevalence in popular culture, including TV, movies, books, and, of course, news articles, but what is it exactly? Is it a crime, a cry for help, a mental disorder, or something else entirely?
In part one of this series, I told you what studies and experts have to say about this commonly misunderstood condition. I also told you the beginning of the story of 5-year-old Garnett Spears. Garnett’s death in January of 2014 was the culmination of five brutal years of unnecessary surgical procedures, medications, hospitalizations, induced illnesses, and gratuitous suffering at the hands of his mother, and the egregiousness of Garnett’s story has made his one of the most well known cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy to date. In today’s episode, I’ll tell you the conclusion of Garnett’s story, including his death and the 2015 murder trial of his mother, Lacey Spears.
This is part 2 of the baffling phenomenon of Munchausen Syndrome by proxy.
Links:
Dr. Marc Feldman’s latest book
Dr. Feldman’s bio
John Glatt’s book, My Sweet Angel: The True Story of Lacey Spears, the Seemingly Perfect Mother Who Murdered Her Son in Cold Blood
Web of Lies on ID - The Sick Boy
48 Hours on CBS - A Mother Accused
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