photo gallery

Blair Stockdill gets 25 years to life for drowning young daughter in Ventura

By Raul Hernandez - Vcstar.com

January 9, 2013

A Ventura woman who pleaded guilty to first-degree murder by reason of insanity in the drowning of her 8-year-old daughter was sentenced today to 25 years to life.

Blair Stockdill, 27, will serve her time inside a locked state mental facility.

On Sept. 20, 2010, the decomposing body of Stockdill's daughter, Alaina, was found dead in their apartment in the 1300 block of Saratoga Avenue in Ventura. The girl was found lying on her side in an empty bathtub with her head on a small pillow, according to authorities.

Stockdill believed demons were trying to harm her through her cats and her daughter, prosecutors said.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Chrystina Jenson told Superior Court Judge Charles Campbell today that in her 17 years as a prosecutor, she had never agreed to allow a defendant to plead guilty by reason of insanity. But the facts surrounding this case indicate Stockdill was legally insane when she killed her daughter, Jenson said.

"This case is incredibly sad," said Jenson.

Stockdill suffered from mental illness since she was in her teens and had a complete "psychotic breakdown" when she committed the slaying, Jenson said.

Stockdill's lawyer, Donna Forry of the Public Defender's Office, and the judge agreed Stockdill was insane at the time of the slaying.

"There isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't think about Alaina," said Forry.

"I certainly agree with everything that has been said," Campbell said. "It is a terrible situation."

The judge said he hopes that someday Stockdill can be released back to society, but right now the only solution is to send her to Patton State Hospital.

Jenson described the victim as a beautiful little girl who deserved to grow up, do artwork and have boyfriends.

"I can't imagine what Blair Stockdill goes through thinking what happened to her child," Jenson told the court.

Stockdill declined to make a statement to the court today. No victim impact statements were given.

Jenson has said the defendant placed a pink silk satin pillow under the girl's head in the tub and ran warm water over her body, hoping that if she kept Alaina warm, she would come back to life.

There were no signs of trauma on the girl's body, but investigators found evidence she had been immersed in water, according to authorities. Her body was discovered by an ex-boyfriend of Stockdill after he forced his way into the apartment.

Stockdill had battled bipolar disorder for years, and her father, Michael Stockdill, took custody of Alaina in 2005, according to relatives and court documents. She regained full custody of her daughter in December 2009 after living with Alaina for about two years.

Blair Stockdill pleads guilty to drowning daughter in Ventura

By Raul Hernandez - Vcstar.com

December 14, 2012

A Ventura woman accused of drowning her 8-year-old daughter in 2010 pleaded guilty to first-degree murder by reason of insanity Friday at Ventura County Superior Court.

Prosecutor Chrystina Jenson said Blair Stockdill, who has a long history of mental illness, will be sentenced to 25 years to life but will serve her time inside a locked state mental facility.

Ventura County Superior Court Judge Charles Campbell said Stockdill entered the guilty plea "voluntarily and intelligently."

Stockdill, 27, sat beside her lawyer, Donna Forry of the Public Defender's Office. She was dressed in blue and orange jail garb and appeared in court in shackles.

She calmly and in a low voice told the judge that she understood the constitutional rights she was waiving by pleading guilty. Stockdill occasionally asked Forry questions about the terms of her guilty plea, which the judge had encouraged her to do.

The judge set sentencing for Jan. 9.

In an interview, Jenson said it is rare that the District Attorney's Office agrees that a person was insane when the crime was committed. The facts and volumes of mental health records underscoring that Stockdill was legally insane were overwhelming, Jenson said.

Jenson said Stockdill's mental problems go back to when she was 16 or 17.

The district attorney decided to make public many details of the case because of the tragic and traumatic nature of what happened, Jenson said.

"We felt the public had a right to know," she said.

Jenson said Stockdill believed demons were trying to harm her through her daughter and her cats.

"Everyone who has ever treated her has found that she suffers from a very debilitating mental illness and that she was highly psychotic," Jenson said.

Jenson said psychiatrists will interview Stockdill to determine in which facility she will be placed.

"She'll be placed there up to the rest of her life," Jenson said.

Stockdill could be found to be mentally well by psychiatrists and they could recommend she be released back into the community with mental health support.

"However, if that happened, the District Attorney's Office would have a chance to contest that and a judge would have to agree," Jenson said. "So that is an outside, unlikely thing to happen. What's more likely is that she will spend decades in a locked mental facility."

In September 2010, Alaina Stockdill was found dead in the apartment she shared with her mother. She was lying on her side in an empty bathtub with her head on a small pillow, and her body was in a state of decomposition, Jenson said.

"Her mother had placed a pink silk satin pillow underneath her head in the tub and had been running warm water over her body in the hopes that if she kept Alaina warm, Alaina could come back," Jenson said.

There were no signs of trauma on the girl's body, but investigators found evidence she had been immersed in water.

Alaina's body was discovered by Stockdill's sometimes boyfriend John Kimmis after he forced his way into the apartment in the 1300 block of Saratoga Avenue, according to a death investigation report.

Stockdill, for years, battled bipolar disorder, and her father, Michael Stockdill, took custody of Alaina in 2005, according to relatives and court documents. She regained full custody of her daughter in December 2009 after living with Alaina for about two years.

  

Blair Stockdill changes to insanity plea in drowning of daughter

By Raul Hernandez - Vcstar.com

February 7, 2012

A Ventura woman accused of drowning her daughter pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity Tuesday in Ventura County Superior Court.

Blair Stockdill, 26, changed her plea of not guilty and told the court through her lawyer, Donna Forry, that she wasn't guilty by reason of insanity.

Judge Kevin McGee appointed psychologists John Lewis and Lauren Thomas to do a mental health evaluation of Stockdill.

Prosecutor Chrystina Jenson told Stockdill, who stood behind her lawyer, that if she were found not guilty by reason of insanity, she could spend the rest of her life in a mental institution. Stockdill said she understood.

Stockdill was in jail in lieu of $530,000 bail. The next court hearing is set for May 9, when the psychologists' reports are expected to be completed.

Forry, of the Public Defender's Office, declined to comment.

In an interview, Jenson said Stockdill is charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a child in her custody.

"This is an absolute tragedy for the family, for the community and the little girl," Jenson said.

She said it's premature to think about a trial, adding that psychologists first must evaluate Stockdill's mental health.

"On this case especially, the defense and the prosecution — we're trying to work with each other to make sure we have all the information that's available to make a determination where we go from here," Jenson said.

In a trial in which a defense of not guilty by reason of insanity is raised, prosecutors first must prove to the jury that the defendant committed the crime, Jenson said. If the defendant is found guilty, a jury then must decide whether he or she was insane when the crime was committed.

If Stockdill is found guilty and jurors find she was sane, she faces 29 years to life in prison, Jenson said.

In September 2010, Alaina Stockdill was found dead, lying on her side in an empty bathtub with her head on a small pillow, officials said. There were no signs of trauma on the 8-year-old's body, but investigators found evidence she had been immersed in water.

Alaina's body was discovered by Stockdill's sometimes boyfriend after he forced his way into the apartment in the 1300 block of Saratoga Avenue, according to a death investigation report by Chief Deputy Medical Examiner James Baroni.

  

Investigation shows Alaina Stockdill was found dead in empty bathtub

By Adam Foxman - Vcstar.com

October 12, 2010

Alaina Stockdill was found dead lying on her side in an empty bathtub, her head resting on a small pillow. There were no signs of trauma on the 8-year-old’s body, but investigators found evidence she had been immersed in water.

These were some of the new details that emerged this week from reports on Alaina’s autopsy and the investigation of her death by the Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office, obtained Tuesday by The Star.

Alaina’s mother, Blair Stockdill, was arrested after her daughter was found dead Sept. 20 at their Ventura apartment. Stockdill, 25, has been charged with murder and child abuse for allegedly drowning Alaina. She has not entered a plea.

Alaina’s body was discovered by Stockdill’s sometimes boyfriend, John Kimmis, after he forced his way into the apartment at 1300 Saratoga Ave., according to a death investigation report by Chief Deputy Medical Examiner James Baroni. Neighbors said Kimmis came to the house after they heard a cat crying all night outside Stockdill’s residence and someone reportedly called him.

A fight began between Stockdill and Kimmis, she reportedly stabbed him, and police were called to reports of the disturbance. Police later said his injuries were minor and he was a witness, not a victim.

In the entry way and living room of the two-bedroom apartment, authorities found signs of a struggle including drops of blood, broken windows and scattered papers from the altercation between Stockdill and Kimmis, according to Baroni’s report and police.

Alaina was found lying dead on her side in an empty tub in the home’s bathroom, her face turned toward the wall with her head on a small pillow and a wet towel under her torso. Her left arm was around her torso and her right hand was tucked partly under the pillow. The child was undressed, but a towel covered her feet and most of her legs, according to the death investigation report.

The report on Alaina’s autopsy described her as an “apparently well-nourished” girl who was 4-foot-2 and 55 pounds.

Her hands and feet showed signs of being immersed in water, and there was fluid in her lungs and blood congestion in her organs, according to the report by Assistant Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Janice Frank.

“The condition of her body suggests that she had been deceased for a few days,” Frank said, adding that the timeline could vary, and authorities don’t have a reliable account of when the girl was last seen alive.

Alaina was last in class at Elmhurst School on Sept. 15. Her mother called the school the next day to say her daughter was ill and would not be in, according to the death investigation report.

One neighbor said his daughters had played with her the day before she was found.

Police said Stockdill made a statement that “an incident occurred” while she was taking a bath with her daughter the week prior to the discovery of her daughter’s body, “but she would not be specific about it,” according to Baroni’s report.

Cmdr. Mark Stadler of the Ventura police declined to comment on that statement.

The autopsy report notes that no trauma or significant external injury was found on Alaina’s body.

The examination found a small bruise on Alaina’s head, but it was unclear exactly when or how the girl suffered the bruise, and it was not a significant injury, Frank said.

The reports list Alaina’s cause of death as drowning and the manner as homicide.

Alaina had no diseases or conditions that would have made her susceptible to a natural death or accidental drowning, Frank said. The lack of another cause of death, combined with the death investigation and reports from police, led to the determination that Alaina’s death was a homicide, meaning that it occurred at the hands of another person, the doctor said. Toxicology, which could provide more information, has not yet been completed, Frank said.

Blair Stockdill battled bipolar disorder for years and her father, Michael Stockdill, took custody of Alaina in 2005, according to relatives and court documents. She regained full custody of her daughter in December 2009 after living with Alaina for about two years.

After Alaina’s death, Michael Stockdill reported that he recently worried his daughter had gone off her medication, Baroni wrote in the death investigation. He went with his daughter to get her medication when he visited her and Alaina for a meal Sept. 13, according to the report.

Police and Child Protective Services officials in the weeks before Alaina’s death investigated reports that her mother had choked her, but found no evidence of abuse.

Blair Stockdill’s father said he had never seen his daughter “get physical” with Alaina, and she would only put her in “time out” if she misbehaved, Baroni wrote.

  

CPS, police investigated abuse allegations prior to death of Alaina Stockdill

Officials witnessed no evidence of child abuse

By Cheri Carlson and Kathleen Wilson - Ventura County Star

October 2, 2010

Less than a month before 8-year-old Alaina Stockdill was found dead in a suspected child abuse killing, both police and social workers investigating complaints found she was not in danger.

Her mother, Blair Stockdill of Ventura, has been charged with murder and child abuse in the drowning death. She has not yet entered a plea.

Child welfare records released late Friday revealed the picture of a mentally ill woman who lost custody of her child five years ago, then recovered enough to get her back in December. Nine months later, her daughter was found dead in the bathtub of her mother’s Ventura apartment.

At least one person reported that the child might be in danger in the weeks before she was found dead. But when authorities investigated, they could find no reason to either force Stockdill into mental treatment or remove the child, according to records requested by The Star. The 165-page report was released under a 2007 state law requiring authorities to disclose details about child deaths determined to be a result of abuse and neglect. Names of people and agencies were redacted from the report but the major figures are evident from the context.

When Ventura police looked into a complaint on Aug. 25, officers found Stockdill capable of taking care of Alaina and found no evidence that the child had been abused. Two weeks later, after their own visit to the home, county social workers agreed.

“It’s very difficult to predict murder, very difficult,” said Jill Duerr Berrick, professor of social welfare at UC Berkeley. “They’re terrible, terrible tragedies. It is one of those things where sometimes you can prevent it, and sometimes you may not be able to catch it fast enough.

“Unfortunately it’s a case-by-case situation that requires extreme caution so you don’t abridge the parent’s rights and yet keep the child safe,” Berrick said.

Both police and county officials have been reviewing their actions, but said Saturday they have not found any glaring errors.

“I believe our professionals pushed the envelope as hard as they can legally. It’s just so frustrating that there isn’t some other tool,” said Kathy Long, chairwoman of the county Board of Supervisors. “We want to make sure that we’re up on all of the laws, all the training available, every step we can take to intervene in cases like this before they turn into tragedy.”

Allegations of abuse

In the weeks before Alaina was found dead, police and social workers interviewed both the girl and her mother. They checked the house to make sure it was safe and there was enough food.

The first visit came on Aug. 25 from Ventura police who investigated an allegation that Alaina had told a neighbor her mother had choked her.

The complaint to police actually was third hand, said Ventura Police Cmdr. Mark Stadler. Officers were told by Stockdill’s one-time boyfriend that a neighbor told him about the allegation, Stadler said. That person never talked to police.

Officers went to Stockdill’s apartment and interviewed Blair and Alaina separately, but they could not substantiate the allegation, Stadler said. They found no physical injury and the child said she had not been abused.

A day later, the county’s Child Protective Services unit received an anonymous report that Alaina was being abused and neglected.

Social workers were told that police had been called to the home the night before to investigate whether the child had been choked. The person making the complaint said Alaina was not properly supervised or fed and her bedroom was dirty.

The person alleged that Stockdill has bipolar disorder with psychotic episodes and wasn’t taking her medication, instead using methamphetamine.

Many fruitless trips

Over several days, a social worker had a difficult time tracking down Blair and Alaina, going to their home several times, finding no one there and leaving a card. Each time, Blair would call back, at one point setting up an appointment for the next day. But when the social worker showed up at the scheduled time, again no one was there.

A social worker called police Sept. 2 to see if a report had been filed. The officer called back the same day.

He said there seemed to be enough food and the apartment appeared safe, according to the social worker’s notes. The mother “does appear to have a mental illness, but on that date it did not appear to be affecting her ability to parent her child,” the officer told the social worker, CPS records show.

He didn’t believe that CPS needed to reinterview the child because police were able to cover all allegations in their inquiry.

Several days later, social workers went to Stockdill’s home for a scheduled visit. They found it clean and safe.Alaina also was home, dressed in footed pajamas. She showed no signs of fear, the social worker noted.

Blair, described as “very guarded,” denied using drugs or physical discipline. She answered most questions with a yes or no and refused to discuss any mental health issues.

The social worker also found that mental illness did not appear to interfere with her ability to parent. The allegations of general neglect and physical abuse were determined to be unfounded and the case was closed Sept. 8. Alaina was found dead 12 days later.

CPS did not interview the child separately, away from her mother, but police said they had done so days earlier. That’s an accepted practice in child abuse investigations, said Barry Zimmerman, director of the county Human Services Agency.

No reason to go further

If red flags had come up during the CPS interview, they may have warranted additional investigation, he said. If there had been more than the one report made to CPS, such as by a firsthand witness, they might have expanded the scope of the interviewing, he said.

History of mental illness and previous abuse and neglect complaints are taken into account, Zimmerman said, but that must be weighed against the current episode.

It would have been a warning sign if the mother had not been engaged, her attention span was limited or the appearance of the house showed someone that was not checked in, Zimmerman said. But that didn’t appear to be the case, he said.

History can help determine risk factors, he said. For CPS to remove a child, “there needed to be evidential matter or an assessment that the child was in immediate danger,” he said.

Berrick said a history of mental illness is not a strong predictor of abuse because many people manage well with medication and support. Other predictors are extreme poverty, substance abuse and isolation from family and friends.

Stockdill, then 17, was hospitalized for mental illness in June 2003 and released three weeks later, records of the Human Services Agency show. Alaina was 1 at the time.

When a social worker interviewed the single, teenage mother after she was hospitalized, the Ventura resident said she’d been admitted because she had been “screaming at the top of my lungs in tongues.”

Stockdill remembered holding her daughter inappropriately, and police were called. She had been told that “I held her calves and put her upside down, because there were evil spirits in her,” the report says.

She said, though, that she would never hurt her daughter. “She saved my life,” Stockdill said.

Positive report

Alaina appeared to be doing “quite nicely,” according to a follow-up report that says the family would be there when Blair was released. Blair and Alaina lived at Blair’s father’s Ventura home.

But just a couple weeks after her release from the hospital, by July 30, someone had called to complain that she was out of control, showing psychotic behavior and not connected to reality. An investigation found the child looked healthy but was wearing soiled clothes. Stockdill told the social worker “I am not crazy,” and refused to discuss her health.

By August 2003, social workers were recommending that family members become the child’s guardian, but did not find grounds for a judge to remove the child. Social workers investigated complaints of neglect and emotional abuse three times that summer, but did not substantiate them.

But by summer 2005, the situation appeared to be escalating.

Erratic behavior

In June, police reported finding Alaina, 3, left alone in a car while her mother went into a friend’s house.

Two months later, a social worker visited their home. Blair had put her furniture out on the lawn, stating that she had nowhere else to place her things. She was referred to resources, including a psychiatrist. The social worker told her she needed to get back on her medication.

This time, the social worker substantiated neglect and insisted that the grandfather immediately take guardianship of Alaina, then 3.

In the years that followed, Blair and Alaina appeared to be doing well. Child Protective Services records show no contact with the family since two complaints were received alleging neglect in 2007, neither substantiated.

Blair moved out of her father’s home with her daughter that year, she wrote, petitioning the court to regain legal custody. In December 2009, she won her back.

In private discussions last week, the Board of Supervisors noted no glaring red flags in the handling of Alaina’s case. Supervisors will continue their discussions with Human Services officials in another private meeting Tuesday.

“In every case, in particular a tragic case like this, we go back and replay the whole scenario,” Zimmerman said. “We go back to see where we could improve or where we could approach things differently.”

Officials are looking, for example, at whether social workers need more training in how to deal with mentally ill people during investigations. That might enable them to get more people’s consent to review their mental health records, which are confidential, he said.

  

Ventura mother arrested for allegedly killing 8-year-old daughter

By Tony Barboza - Los Angeles Times

September 21, 2010

A Ventura woman has been arrested on suspicion of killing her 8-year-old daughter, whose body was found in the woman's condominium several days after she died, authorities said Tuesday.

Blair Stockdill, 25, was arrested Monday after neighbors called 911, according to a statement from the Ventura Police Department.

Neighbors in a condominium complex in the 1300 block of Saratoga Avenue reported that someone had been stabbed and said they heard a person screaming, “She is dead!”

When officers arrived at the scene just after 11:30 a.m., they found a man with knife wounds on his arms and Stockdill holding a knife.

After searching the home, police found the body of an 8-year-old girl, later determined to have been dead “for several days.”

The wounded man was taken to the hospital. His relation to the mother was unclear.

Police charged Stockdill after recovering evidence from the scene and conducting several interviews. She is being held at the Ventura County Jail.

Stockdill had recently regained legal custody of her daughter, police said.