Mother Pleads Not Guilty for Alleged Murder of Allergic Daughter

Veronica Cirella has submitted a plea charge of not guilty against the charges of second degree murder. Cirella, 31, a New York resident, was refused bail after the police arrested her in connection with her young daughter’s suspicious demise.

Body Found Hours Before a Family Function

On July 23rd, Julie, Cirella’s daughter, was supposed to attend the wedding of a cousin as a flower girl. The previous night, Cirella gave her daughter some candy not knowing that it had traces of peanuts, to which Julie is allergic. Realizing her mistake, Cirella tried to counteract the effect of the allergy by providing a dose of Benadryl.

Cirella has stated that they fell asleep later. In the morning, Cirella found that Julie had died in her sleep. Blaming herself over the death of her daughter, Cirella wrote a suicide note and attempted to kill herself by self-administering insulin injections and consuming numerous painkillers. Cirella also tried to hang herself with electrical wires. Dolores Cirella, Veronica’s mother-in-law found both daughter and mother when she arrived to pick them up for the wedding.

Judge Denies Cirella Bail in Light of Suicide Attempt

Although William Keahon made a desperate plea to the County Judge to grant Cirella bail, it was denied due to her suicide note and attempts. The judge stated that until the trial is over, Cirella will be safer in police custody. Keahon has declared that the suicide note was the ranting of a shattered mother who believed that her daughter died because of the candy that she fed her.

Keahon is also angry over the fact that the grand jury indicted his client even after autopsy results failed to show traces of peanuts in Cirella’s daughter. According to Keahon, as evidence of intentional murder or homicide is not there, the grand jury should not have indicted Cirella.

Christopher Morales is an experienced San Francisco Criminal Lawyer. For expert advice on Murder Cases in San Francisco, contact us.