UPDATED: Mother guilty in toddler twins abuse case – jury recommends no time served

FRONT ROYAL – If it was a boxing match it would have been ruled a split decision – on Wednesday evening, April 10, just over an hour after returning a guilty verdict on two counts of negligent child endangerment against 29-year-old Tabitha Zimmerman in the November 2017 death of her 22-month-old son Malakai and injuries sustained by twin brother Micah at the hands of her then fiancé Chad Ritchie, a six-man, six-woman jury recommended no time served and no fine on either conviction.

Zimmerman faced up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2500 on each conviction. Actually a question submitted by the jury prior to its sentencing recommendation indicated a desire to credit Zimmerman for the eight months she served in RSW Regional Jail following her November 9, 2017 arrest prior to being released on bond. The jury also asked if a parenting class could be recommended for the defendant.

Judge Clifford L. Athey Jr. replied that neither of those were part of the sentencing options. One minute after returning to deliberations, a 10:30 p.m. knock on the jury room door indicated the jury was ready with its authorized sentencing recommendation.

As reported in Royal Examiner’s coverage of the first two days of the trial, the prosecution case against Zimmerman revolved around the contention there had been a long-term pattern of abuse by Ritchie that Zimmerman was aware of and allowed to continue. SEE RELATED STORY:

Zimmerman trial for failing to prevent child death, injuries inflicted by boyfriend begins

Ritchie was called as a prosecution witness against Zimmerman. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Bryan Layton simply asked Ritchie, who entered an Alford guilty plea on the second day of his December trial, to verify his written account of the events of November 8, 2017, including his striking of the twins in the body and head while watching the children while their mother was on a 12-hour night shift at Rubbermaid where the couple had met.

However on cross examination by defense attorney John Bell, Ritchie was asked if he had ever previously struck the boys. “No,” Ritchie replied. Layton countered the impact of that answer by his witness by telling the jury during closing arguments that Ritchie had a tendency to minimize his wrongdoing toward the children, including the evening of Malakai’s death. SEE RELATED STORY:

Toddler death defense – ‘a horrific accident’ – prosecution ‘Really?’

Chad Ritchie mug shot from 2018, closer to the time of his December 2018 trial. Courtesy Photo RSW Jail

In both his closing argument against conviction, as well as an earlier motion to strike the commonwealth’s case against his client for a lack of evidence presented, Bell cited, not only the testimony of the prosecution witness who admitted to causing the injuries to the twins culminating in the death of one, but also the testimony of the commonwealth’s three expert witnesses.

Those witnesses were State Forensic Pathologist Meghan Kessler who did Malakai Zimmerman’s autopsy; Winchester Medical Center Forensic Nurse Betty Fisher who examined surviving brother Micah the evening of the incident; and Pediatrician Ashley Blanzit who treated the boys on a regular basis.

Bell told the jury Wednesday that all of the commonwealth’s expert witnesses had testified under cross examination that none of the older bruises, scabs or marks on the boys were of a nature to raise abuse alarm bells without the presence of the newer marks admittedly inflicted by Ritchie and determined to be the cause of Malakai’s death and Micah’s injuries of November 8, 2017.

Of one health concern for Malakai expressed by Pediatrician Blanzit, weight loss from 25 pounds at 18 months to 17 pounds at 21 months, the month before his death, Bell noted Kessler’s autopsy report indicating Malakai “was well-nourished” and weighed 33 pounds at the time of his death.

“Nobody saw it coming,” Bell told the jury. Those “nobodies” included the twins’ pediatrician who is bound by law to report signs of abuse; Tabitha Zimmerman’s parents in whose basement she and Ritchie had been living for two months prior to November 8, 2017; or the two prosecution expert medical witnesses who saw the children in the wake of Ritchie’s admitted violence of that November evening.

In arguing for a lower end jury sentencing recommendation Bell described his client as a twice broken woman: first at her own doing as an opioid addict; then as a mother whose twins had been the catalyst for her to kick her addiction and become a devoted, hard-working mother, again broken by the death of one child and injury and consequent legal separation from her surviving son due to the mistake “of trusting the wrong man”.

Bell added that once released from jail after her arrest for contributing to the death and injuries to her twins, rather than return through despair to addiction, she had reentered the workforce to again become “a productive member of society” who continued to pass drug screenings.

The remaining question, Bell asked the jury that had just convicted his client on a paucity of evidence “is how badly do you want to break her again?”

Twice placed on suicide watch at RSW Jail following her Nov. 9, 2017 arrest for negligent complicity in the death of one and abuse of both her twin boys, Zimmerman is wearing a strap-on protective vest indicative of prisoner’s who may try to harm themselves. Courtesy Photo RSW Jail

The fortunate answer for Bell and his client was not much at all.

Bell noted during sentencing arguments that his client remains on probation in Fauquier County for an earlier offense. With the potential of her probation being jeopardized by this conviction, we asked Bell if he might move to overturn the conviction or failing that, appeal the verdict.

Defense counsel said he would discuss those options with his client.

Judge Athey gave the defense 21 days to submit a motion to set aside the verdict; and the prosecution 21 days to respond if that defense motion is filed. If arguments are forthcoming on a defense motion, Athey set them for the June 21 circuit court docket.

Judge Athey must approve the jury sentencing recommendation. A final sentencing hearing date will be set following decisions on coming motions. SEE RELATED STORY:

Ritchie will serve 20 years in death and injuries inflicted to toddler twins