Saturday, November 14th, 2009
Former sitter charged with perjury
Investigators say Tamara Evers gave false testimony regarding baby's death
By Janie Southard
The former baby sitter of the St. Henry infant who died July 6, 2008, of blunt force trauma to the head, has been arrested, according to the Mercer County Sheriff's Office.
Tamara S. Evers, 45, 502 Northview Drive, St. Henry was arrested for perjury for her false testimony in a Mercer County Court last year in a hearing regarding the death of Trevor James Stammen, the six-month-old son of Brian and Angie Stammen, Fleetfoot Road, St. Henry.
Perjury is a third degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.
The baby's death certificate, signed by Kent Edward Harshbarger of the Montgomery County Coroner's Office, Dayton, lists the death as a homicide. An autopsy found the presence of two fractures to the skull, according to Mercer County Chief Deputy Gery Thobe.
Although the investigation is still being conducted, Sheriff Jeff Grey said his office is presently in discussions with the Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney and expects official charges related to the death to be filed in the very near future, according to a press release.
No official statements have been made since a Mercer County judge closed the October 2008 hearing at which Harshbarger was scheduled to answer questions regarding the infant's death.
Juvenile Court Judge Mary Pat Zitter said at that time no one had been accused of anything and the publishing of sensitive information could open the child's three siblings to ridicule.
Zitter indicated the welfare of the children weighed heavily in her decision to close the hearing.
The baby was pronounced dead at 6:04 p.m. on July 8, 2008, at Children's Medical Center, Dayton.
Angela Stammen reportedly told investigators she was running late on July 8, 2008, and fed Trevor around 6:45 a.m. She dropped the children off at Evers' home and went on to work around 7:30 a.m.
Evers called Mercer County 911 at 10:17 a.m. to report an unresponsive infant whose eyes were rolled back. He was taken to Mercer County Community Hospital in Coldwater and later was taken by ambulance to the Dayton hospital.
Local hospital staff alerted the sheriff's office to the injuries. A number of people, including the parents, a nine-year-old brother, the baby sitter and other children at her home, were questioned over several weeks. Some individuals submitted to lie detector tests and others refused.
An expert in statement analysis reviewed written statements and also spoke with Angela Stammen, according to sheriff's office reports. Thobe said in October 2008 that "no one has been eliminated as a suspect ..."
