Mother Serving Life For Feeding Her Malnourished Baby Cow’s Milk During Hurricane Katrina Loses Parole Bid By One Vote

Nie’John Woods still remembers nan time his family changed forever.

In nan weeks and months aft Hurricane Katrina battered New Orleans successful 2005, nan Woods family was conscionable struggling to survive erstwhile different calamity struck. Nie’John watched his mother break down successful tears arsenic she knelt complete his unresponsive babe brother, aft feeding her child, desperately pumping nan infant’s thorax and breathing into his mini body, trying to bring him backmost to life.

Nearly 2 decades later, he watched his mother break down again arsenic a Louisiana parole committee denied her petition for merchandise from prison.

“I was shocked and angry,” he said aft watching nan proceeding complete Zoom past month.

Tiffany Woods, now 46, has spent astir 20 years incarcerated for nan decease of her five-month-old son, Emmanuel, who died of malnutrition aft nan large wind devastated nan metropolis and its proviso chains.

In February, Woods appeared earlier nan Louisiana Board of Pardons and Parole hoping nan proceeding would attraction connected nan personification she has go aft astir 2 decades down bars. Instead, her oldest boy said, it felt for illustration nan past was connected proceedings again.

“I went into nan parole proceeding reasoning that parole hearings are conducted to of people find if an incarcerated personification poses a consequence to nationalist information if released from prison,” Nie’John said. “And to measure her readiness to participate nine arsenic a rule abiding citizen.”

“But nan DA guidance was focused connected nan past,” he concluded.

A decease during Katrina

Baby Emmanuel was calved prematurely successful 2005 and released from Tulane Hospital conscionable 2 weeks earlier Hurricane Katrina tore done New Orleans, forcing nan removal of astir 500,000 group and crippling entree to food, medicine and babe supplies.

During nan parole hearing, Tiffany Woods described nan chaotic weeks that followed.

She testified that aft drinking formula, Emmanuel would “throw up successful ample amounts.” When she ran retired of authorities vouchers that supply babe look for low-income families, she made what she later described arsenic a devastating determination - she diluted cow’s beverage pinch h2o and fed it to nan baby.

“He was nary longer throwing up” nan measurement he did while taking nan formula, she said during nan hearing.

A babe nether nan property of 1 twelvemonth should not beryllium fixed cow’s milk, according to nan American Academy of Pediatrics. This is because it doesn't supply capable nutrients an babe needs, and it tin beryllium difficult for immoderate babies to digest nan macromolecule and fat successful cow's milk, causing belly pain, vomiting and diarrhea.

When babe Emmanuel was born, he tested affirmative for a metabolic deficiency, which makes nan assemblage incapable to break down definite fats, according to The Marshall Project. A follow-up was scheduled for August 29 – nan time aft New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued an removal order, and they ne'er made nan appointment.

Woods admitted she was successful endurance mode and did not cognize what other to do to provender nan kid successful nan disorder of nan evacuation.

The babe died from malnutrition successful November 2005, according to autopsy results. In 2008, Tiffany Woods and nan baby’s begetter Emmanuel Scott were convicted of second-degree execution and sentenced to life successful prison. A second-degree execution complaint doesn’t require impervious that anyone intended to harm him.

Brady O’Callaghan, who prosecuted nan case, based on that nan baby’s parents should person tried to get help.

“Ms. Woods and Mr. Scott had nan complete custody and attraction of this child,” he said. “And they watched it dice of starvation and dehydration successful a metropolis that astatine that clip was doing everything it could to scope retired to evacuees and successful a spot wherever aesculapian attraction is disposable to anyone who needs it.”

In 2023, Tiffany Woods’ condemnation was reduced to 32 years, making her eligible for parole successful 2026.

A proceeding focused connected nan past

During nan February 10 parole hearing, respective situation officials and supporters testified connected Woods’ behalf, coating a image of an inmate who had spent astir 2 decades moving to rehabilitate herself.

While incarcerated astatine nan Louisiana Correctional Institute for Women, Woods completed seminary training and Blackstone Career Education courses for inmates studying paralegal work. She mentors and counsels different incarcerated women and has nary disciplinary record.

Kristen Thomas, nan prison’s warden, told nan board, “She is not a disciplinary problem. We don’t person immoderate issues pinch Tiffany. The full clip that I’ve been present pinch her. She is debased consequence and debased needs.”

Nie’John believed that was nan constituent of parole - to find group who person been rehabilitated. Instead, he said, nan proceeding turned backmost to nan crime itself.

Leone Fitzgerald, head of nan Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Victim Assistance Program, who was representing nan state, portrayed Woods arsenic a mother who had options but chose neglect.

She based on against Woods’ merchandise arsenic she presented heartbreaking photos of a malnourished babe Emmanuel from 2005.

Fitzgerald besides said her agency was “getting a small tired of proceeding astir that (Hurricane Katrina) because, while we don’t undermine that, I cognize it had to beryllium chaotic and stressful and unprecedented, but it wasn’t a logic for Miss Woods to not provender her baby,” she told nan board.

While 2 of nan committee members voted for Woods to beryllium granted parole, nan third, who voted against parole, praised her advancement but said she was yet swayed by images presented arsenic evidence. Without an unanimous determination required for release, Woods would stay down bars.

“Well, I went successful location reasoning she only needed 2 retired of 3 votes, but turns retired she needed a unanimous statement successful bid to beryllium accepted for parole,” Nie’John told The Independent after nan decision. “So I americium a spot shocked and angry because 1 of nan parole committee members changed her ballot based connected photos of my dormant relative and nan DA’s opposition, of course.”

To him, nan proceeding felt little for illustration a reappraisal of rehabilitation and much for illustration a retrial.

“Like nan constituent of nan parole proceeding and nan constituent of situation is erstwhile a personification successfully do those things. You still look astatine what happened successful 2005,” he said. “It’s almost arsenic if, successful my opinion, you’re being retried successful a way. Or astatine slightest you’re ignoring each nan advancement aliases you’re choosing to disregard nan progress.”

A family torn apart

Nie’John was conscionable 8 years aged erstwhile his babe relative died and he remembers his mother calling 911.

“So it wasn’t arsenic if she conscionable stood location and waited for them to show up,” he said. “She was trying to bring him backmost to life. Pumping his bosom and trying to respire life into him.”

After Tiffany Woods’ arrest, their family fractured. Nie’John and his younger relative Troy’John were placed together successful a foster home, while sisters Nyla and Elisha were placed successful different home. The siblings cycled done foster attraction and relatives’ houses.

“So, yeah, nan family was wholly surgery apart, and nan authorities didn’t make judge we stayed together arsenic siblings,” he said.

“They painted it arsenic if they’re doing justness for nan family successful regards to nan decease of my babe brother, but I consciousness for illustration nan slightest they could person done was make judge nan remaining surviving siblings were together, you know.”

‘She is not nan aforesaid person’

Now an adult, Nie’John has served successful nan Air Force and lives successful California. He had hoped his mother’s merchandise would let him to return to Louisiana and reunite their family.

“I cognize we each mislaid thing that day,” he said. “I mislaid a brother, she mislaid a son. We were put successful foster care. So overmuch happened to america because of this. Our family was shattered.”

Instead, Nie’John watched his mother illness emotionally during nan proceeding arsenic she said astir Emmanuel.

“She couldn’t moreover speak and she was very remorseful,” he said. “And you could spot nan conclusion erstwhile she didn’t person each 3 votes.”

After nan proceeding ended, he called her.

“She feels defeated,” he said. “It was benignant of heartbreaking. She’s devastated. She was saying that she doesn’t want to spell done that again. She can’t return it.”

Nie’John believes his mother has changed and that she should beryllium fixed different chance.

“The constituent of prison, I thought, was to, successful a way, rehabilitate you. And I judge she was. I judge she was successfully rehabilitated,” he said, “and I deliberation my mom’s characteristic was proven too. That she’s changed because nan personification she is coming is not nan aforesaid personification she was successful 2005.

“I mean, moreover arsenic humans, free humans, I’m not nan aforesaid personification that was successful 2005,” he added. “We alteration for either nan better, nan worse, but successful this case, she changed for nan better.”

For now, though, amended wasn’t capable and Tiffany Woods remains down bars.

But her boy says he’s still trying to clasp onto dream – for some of them.