WALSH ACQUITTED IN MOM MURDER TRIAL
Woman, 58, convicted of elder abuse in parent’s death
A 58-year-old Clinton Township woman was convicted of a 15-year felony but acquitted of firstdegree murder in the death of her eldelry mother, following a Macomb County Circuit Court trial.
A jury deliberated several hours Wednesday and Thursday before finding Ann Marie Walsh guilty of first-degree vulnerable-adult abuse for the death of Barbara Walsh in August 2019. Barbara Walsh was found Aug. 5, 2019, by paramedics on the floor of her bedroom the pair’s apartment with many bruises and multiple fractures; she died 26 days later from sepsis, with two potential secondary causes of death.
Walsh and her attorney, Michael Steinberg, were pleased with the verdict, which came Thursday afternoon.
“Ann is very thankful to the jury and looks forward to moving on her with her life,” Steinberg said.
He praised jurors, with whom he spoke.
“They believe Ann hurt her mom based on her injuries her mom sustained,” he said. “But they could not get over the mountain of felony murder, which requires intent to commit great bodily harm” or worse.
“They said they could not convict based on whether she could have or possibly” murdered her mother. “They did their
job.”
Steinberg, who instructs other lawyers on jury selection, said, “This was one of the best juries I have ever picked” in his 32 years of practice.
Assistant Macomb County Prosecutor Jeffrey Hall said the verdict was inconsistent and a compromise.
“It’s inconsistent that they found her guilty of the underlying intentional harm but didn’t find her guilty of murder,” Hall said. “It’s surprising they found the harm but did not convict of murder. They had people that couldn’t go that far.”
First-degree vulnerable-adult abuse, which is intentional infliction of abuse, as well as second-degree vulnerable adult abuse, which is a failure to care, both were predicate charges to felony murder. Felony murder requires only the elements of second-degree murder, along with an underlying felony charge.
“These verdicts happen,” Hall said, adding he was pleased she was convicted of something.
“At least there’s accountability to her for her actions at some level,” he said.
Walsh has served 33 months in jail, and Steinberg will ask her to be released at her June 28 sentencing since his estimated guideline range for her is one to two years in prison. However, Hall said his computed guideline range is 29 months to 57 months, and he will ask for a term at the top of the range.
Walsh has no prior offenses. She did not testify in her defense, but the jury saw about about two hours of recorded two police interviews. She only admitted to police to slapping her mother on her hands and denied additional abuse. The trial began May 4 in front of Judge James Biernat Jr.
After Ann Walsh called 911, paramedics found Barbara Walsh unresponsive on the floor of her bedroom of the apartment near Harper Avenue and Metropolitan Parkway. Barbara Walsh never regained consciousness at McLaren Macomb hospital in Mount Clemens and died Aug. 31, 2019. While two medical examiners agreed she died from sepsis, each one identified two different contributory causes — the prosecution pathologist found blunt-force trauma while the defense pathologist found near full blockage of an artery.
Barbara Walsh suffered a fractured nose, a fractured rib, brain bleeding, a significant bed sore on her lower back, and a chin abrasion, among others.
Blood spatter was found in many locations in her bedroom, including the wall, ceiling, bed, bed frame, as well as in the bathroom.
Ann Walsh initially implied to police her mother had been on the floor for six days but later said she was on the floor for two days.
Two neighbors testified they heard pounding noises and Barbara Walsh saying, “Stop Ann,” six days before Ann called 911.
Hall argued Walsh suffered from caretaker burn out and snapped.