Branded a Baby Killer: The Story of Tammy Marquardt

Gr 6 Up—When two-year-old Kenneth Marquardt was found unresponsive in his bed in 1993, the already bleak life of his young mother, Tammy Marquardt, was dealt another blow. Even though Kenneth suffered from asthma and epilepsy (with the latter causing frequent seizures), law enforcement in Oshawa, Ontario, didn't believe he died from natural causes. At her trial, two years later, a number of witnesses for the prosecution testified about Tammy's unusual behavior after Kenneth's death, and pathology expert Dr. Charles Smith testified that Kenneth had most likely died of suffocation. Tammy was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole in 10 years. The narrative recounts Tammy's years in prison, the agony of separation from her two other children, and her subsequent bouts of depression and a suicide attempt. In 2011, Dr. Smith, the prosecution's expert pathologist, was discredited and found guilty of professional misconduct. Tammy's conviction for murder was set aside, and she was later exonerated after serving 14 years in prison. D'Costa's sympathetic account tells a difficult story in accessible language, complete with a glossary of legal terms. Although many of the themes covered in this work (murder, injustice) are complex, the text is empathetic (the line, "imagine how Tammy must feel" makes repeat appearances).