quote:WAUSAU (AP) -- A jury in Wausau could soon decide the fate of a mother on trial for reckless homicide because she prayed instead of getting medical help as her 11-year-old daughter died of untreated diabetes.
Closing arguments are scheduled today after the defense called no witnesses on behalf of 41-year-old Leilani Neumann of rural Weston, who says she put her faith in the Lord to heal her daughter and never expected she would die.
Defense lawyer Gene Linehan says he didn't need to call witnesses after prosecutors agreed to tell the jury that to a "casual observer" Madeline Neumann appeared healthy three days before she died on Easter Sunday last year. He says prosecutors didn't prove their case on the charge of second-degree reckless homicide.
But that will be up to the jury to decide.
Medical experts testified the girl could have been saved if she had gotten treatment hours or even minutes before her death.
Neumann's husband Dale is due for trial in July on the same charge.
Let's keep our fingers crossed. The mother is certainly in my prayers... to burn in hell.