A man from Northampton, Massachusetts is facing charges for allegedly trying to poison and kill his sickly 7 year old daughter with drain cleaner. Reports have indicated that the young girl has been suffering from an illness for an unnamed period of time, and that this may not be the man’s first attempt at harming his daughter.
Christopher Conley, 32 years old, has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against him in Hampshire Superior Court on Wednesday. He has officially been charged with attempted murder and assault and battery on a child among other charges. Following his hearing in Hampshire Superior Court, Conley was held on $100,000 bail. An additional court date has not been made available at this time.
According to preliminary reports, authorities believe that Christopher Conley poured Liquid-Plumr into a tube that connected to the young girl’s stomach. The tube connects her stomach to her intestines for an undisclosed illness she has reportedly been suffering from for quite some time. The young girl is described as being “chronically ill” and authorities believe that Conley poured the drain cleaner into the tube in an effort to end the child’s suffering. As a result of doing so, however, the young girl had to undergo a seven hour procedure in April to repair the damage the cleaner had inflicted. Doctors had to remove two-thirds of her small intestine as well as part of her bladder. She has remained hospitalized since the incident occurred. There were no apparent updates on her condition available at the time of the initial article’s release.
Prosecutors for the matter have indicated that they believe Christopher Conley could have potentially been abusing his daughter for some time prior to the incident currently in question. They did not reveal any specific details about past abuse but they have stated the girl’s condition improved during times when she had been placed in foster care. No information has been given on what prompted the girl to have been placed in foster care during that time. Additionally, information has not been provided on other caregivers in the child’s family, such as her mother or other potential guardians who could have been in the home at the time of the poisoning. One article indicated that the mother of the young girl had been questioned following Christopher Conley’s arrest but further details could not be found.
A lawyer representing Christopher Conley has stated that his client had been under a great deal of stress when law enforcement officials questioned Conley about the matter and that the statements he made at the time were not reliable. He went on to say that Conley did not hurt the young girl by poisoning her. He did not indicate when a further trial date would be set or what sentencing his client may face if he is found guilty of attempting to murder his daughter. If Christopher Conley has a prior record for violent offenses or any other offense, it has not been made clear presently.
Additional information may be found at the following link: http://www.wcvb.com/news/father-denies-using-drain-cleaner-to-try-and-kill-daughter/35078758