That’s the first critical flaw: confirmation bias.
Once a theory is locked in, contradictory signals tend to get ignored or reinterpreted.
Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA), the condition both children had, is extremely rare. It disrupts the body’s ability to process certain fats and proteins, leading to a buildup of toxic acids in the blood. These acids can mimic the metabolic signature of antifreeze poisoning in lab tests — especially with the testing methods available at the time.
In simple terms:
the test didn’t actually prove poisoning — it only showed a chemical pattern that looked similar.
No one pushed hard enough to challenge that assumption early on.
When David was born and began showing the same symptoms under controlled conditions — while Patricia was already in prison — the original theory collapsed. There was no longer a plausible path for poisoning. That forced the system to reconsider what should have been questioned from day one.
Once proper metabolic testing was conducted, the diagnosis was clear: MMA.
At that point, the legal case unraveled quickly.
