Pocono News Section

Jury Renders Verdict in Baby's Death Case

Jury Renders Verdict in Baby's Death Case - Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 6:15PM EST

Reported by: Jill Konopka
Thursday, Mar 13, 2008 @06:15pm EST
WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY - Could they be blamed for the death of their daughter? That was the question jurors had to decide in the case of a couple from Edwardsville.

The three day trial ended yesterday, with jurors deliberating into the early night before rendering their verdict shortly after 11 am Thursday morning.

Jurors thought long and hard before deciding their verdict against a couple from Edwardsville linked to their daughter’s death back in 2005.

The three day trial ended with a sigh of relief for Lauren Callahan and Samuel Gould.

It took two questions, two requests and almost eight hours for jurors to find Sam Gould not guilty of involuntary manslaughter in his 4-month old daughter’s death in 2005.

Samuel Gould spoke with WBRE News Thursday morning, "It was wrong to begin with. They were saying this and we don't know what it was." But the jury did convict the 25 year-old of endangering his child. Gould added, "It's still unhappy, but I really don't have a comment."

Jurors acquitted the baby's mother, Lauren Callahan of child endangerment. She had harsh words for Prosecutors leaving the courthouse. Lauren Callahan stated, “She's (Nancy Violi) a liar. We were good parents and we will be again." Attorneys called it an emotionally charged case.

Nancy Violi is an Asst. District Attorney for Luzerne County, "I think for everyone involved it's extremely difficult." One in which a lifeless Alana Gould was discovered dead in her crib two days before Christmas. Witnesses testified she was dehydrated, soaked in urine and un-fed for 24-hours.

Violi added, "We're disappointed. We know it was a hard case for jury to decide. We still believe the charges should've stuck. Defense Attorneys argued Callahan had no reason to believe the baby was in danger. Gould was babysitting, while she worked most of the day leading up to Alana's death. Chris O’Donnell is Callahan’s Attorney, "You have to thank the jury, the questions they asked showed they really keyed in to the legal issues and took time showed really weighed evidence and you can't ever ask any more from a jury. So, I thank them for their decision."

Callahan testified, maintaining her innocence from the start O’Donnell added, "This has been a horrible ordeal and I'm very happy she's maintained her innocence from day one. So happy the jury vindicated her.”

Gould never took the stand. John Donovan is Samuel Gould’s Attorney, "Since two pathologists both from the state and defense couldn't determine cause or manner of death, they couldn't say Sam had a direct cause in the manner of death that was the key element." Prosecutors say they will seek the maximum five year sentence when Sam Gould is sentenced in May.