Arizona Mother Of Nine Smothered Newborn Daughter
Phoenix, AZ – A 36-year-old mother of nine has been arrested on the accusation of intentionally taking the life of her ninth child, a six-day-old newborn named Maya.
Authorities say Nina Koistinen deliberately suffocated her infant daughter on April 8 – pinching her nose and covering her mouth – admittedly because Nina was overwhelmed with too many kids and jealous of the attention lavished onto the child by her husband Bradley.
Bradley, who found the newborn unresponsive, was told by his wife that she’d accidentally fallen asleep on the baby while feeding her. Maya was rushed to Paradise Valley Hospital where she was pronounced dead 45 minutes later.
After, an autopsy was performed. The examiner found evidence of possible signs of suffocation beyond accidental means – enough to encourage police to probe further in the family’s background.
Court documents show investigators reviewed prior child protective service (CPS) reports and found Nina had made unsettling statements about wanting to suffocate their other children or wanting them to die in a car accident.
Nina later fessed up and told authorities, through an interview admission with her husband, how she’d gone about smothering her daughter.
Bradley, Nina’s husband of 15 years, supportively attended his wife’s initial appearance Friday and made an emotional plea to the court. He claimed they had been working on getting Nina’s mental illnesses under control, stating she had been battling bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression for years.
While choking back tears, Bradley also said, “She has been the greatest mother to our kids. Never once has hurt any of our kids.”
Nina is being held on a secured bond of $1 million.
All of the aforementioned mental and emotional disorders can be difficult to manage, even with medications. Radical changes in stress and hormones can escalate symptoms, resulting in radical behavior. Studies have shown 20 percent of women suffered from increased anxiety and mood disorders during and immediately following pregnancy.
[Image via Shutterstock]
