Dena Schlosser

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Dena Schlosser
Born Dena Laettner
1969 (age 54–55)
Plano, Texas
Nationality American
Alma mater Marist College
Criminal charge Murder
Criminal penalty Committed
Criminal status Released
Spouse(s) John Schlosser
Children Margaret, 2 other daughters

Dena Schlosser (born 1969) is a Plano, Texas woman who, on November 22, 2004, used a knife to amputate the arms of her eleven-month-old daughter, Margaret, who died as a result. Plano police responded to a 9-1-1 call made by concerned workers at a local day care center who had spoken to her earlier that day. The 9-1-1 operator testified that she confessed to her and that the gospel song, "He Touched Me" played in the background. When police arrived, they saw her covered in blood and calmly sitting holding the knife singing Christian hymns.[1] Hours after her arrest, police heard her repeatedly chanting, "Thank you Jesus, thank you Lord."[2]

Early years

At age 8, Schlosser was diagnosed with hydrocephalus. Throughout her childhood and teenage years, she underwent seven brain surgeries in which doctors drained the fluid from her brain. She had eight surgeries to implant shunts into her brain, heart and abdomen before she was 13 years old. Her schoolmates made fun of her shaved head.[3] She graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York with a bachelor's degree in psychology.[3] She met her husband, John, when they were both students at Marist. She graduated but he did not. They moved to Texas. She wanted to work but he would not allow her to.[3]

Margaret's killing

The day after Margaret was born, Dena attempted suicide, was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder with psychotic features.[3] Schlosser had been investigated earlier that year by the Texas Child Protective Services after she was hospitalized for a psychotic episode. CPS ordered that she could not be alone with her children. Her sister-in-law came to live with them until CPS lifted the order.[3][4] Dena came to believe that Margaret was destined to marry Doyle Davidson, a veterinarian who had become the family's pastor. The day before Dena attacked Margaret, she told John that she wanted to give Margaret to Davidson. Later that day, according to a confidential CPS report, John spanked Dena with a wooden spoon in front of their children.[3][5] Dena killed Margaret,[4] while Dena's other two daughters were not harmed.

Psychologist David Self testified that Dena told him about a disturbing news story she had seen. The news story concerned a boy who was mauled by a lion and Dena interpreted it as a sign of the coming apocalypse. Dena said that she heard God commanding her to remove her Margaret's arm and then her own.[1] The attack was later described as "religious frenzy".[6] Self determined that Dena suffered from postpartum psychosis.[7] She was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed to the North Texas State Hospital and ordered to stay there until she is deemed to no longer be a threat to herself or others.[6] There, she was a roommate of Andrea Yates, the Houston woman who had drowned her five children in a bathtub. In her case, Yates claimed that the drownings were intended to protect her children from Satan.[8]

During the trial, much attention was drawn to Schlosser and John attending Water of Life Church, a charismatic church pastored by Davidson. Schlosser had been taking antipsychotic drugs for several years prior to Margaret's death. Davidson thought that mental illness is demonic and this belief partly led John to not buy her medication regularly.[3] Under oath, Davidson testified that in his view, all mental illness is demonic at bottom.[2][9] Due to viewer outcry after the trial, Davidson's television ministry was canceled everywhere outside the Metroplex.[10]

After Schlosser's arrest, her children were taken by CPS and kept in foster care. John underwent a psychological evaluation, where he was diagnosed with "narcissistic personality traits."[5] The psychological report also stated that he did not do enough to protect his daughters from his mentally ill wife. CPS said they would only allow him to regain custody of them under the condition that his sister live with the family, and he was required to complete psychotherapy and parenting classes. He obliged and got them back in his home.[5] John subsequently filed for divorce. As part of the divorce settlement, Dena was prohibited from ever having contact with him or their daughters again.

On November 6, 2008, it was announced that Schlosser would shortly be released into outpatient care. The order required her to see a psychiatrist once a week, take medication, be on physician-approved birth control, and not have any unsupervised contact with children.[11]

In April 2010, it was reported that Schlosser was recommitted after firefighters from Richardson, Texas saw her walking down the street at 2:00 a.m. Her attorney, David Haynes, said that he felt the judge made the correct decision.[12]

Schlosser was later released to outpatient status. She stayed out of the public eye until 2012, when WFAA-TV in Dallas reported that she was working under her maiden name, Laettner, at a Walmart in Terrell, east of Dallas. Within hours of this news report, Walmart fired her.[13]

In the media

Schlosser was briefly seen in the 2005 documentary The God Who Wasn't There, which is critical of Christianity.

Schlosser is cited by atheist writer/director Brian Flemming, who was raised in a fundamentalist Christian home, as one of a series of people who committed and or incited others to commit crimes under the pretext of them being divinely inspired. Her caption reads, "Devout Christian; Cut her baby's arms off, for God". Charles Manson, Pat Robertson, Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins (the authors of the Left Behind series of books), and the victims of the Branch Davidian siege in Waco, Texas (described as "86 crispy fans of similar apocalyptic literature") are also shown.[14]

There is also a segment about Schlosser in an August 23, 2013 episode of Deadly Women called "Evil Guardians".[citation needed]

See also

References

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  9. Whitley, Galena. The Devil and Doyle Davidson. Dallas Observer, 2006-05-18.
  10. Wilonsky, Robert. Whatever You Do, Don't Sip the Water of Life. It's Really Crazy Juice. Dallas Observer, 2008-05-20.
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  12. Mom Who Cut Off Baby's Arms Back in Hospital NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
  13. Shipp, Brett; Woodard, Teresa. Mother who killed her child found working in area Walmart. WFAA-TV, 2012-08-06.
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