Pediatrician Cleared of Murdering Infant

PORT ANGELES, Wash. —  Prosecutors on Monday withdrew a second-degree murder charge against a veteran pediatrician accused of blocking an infant’s breathing after the 3-day-old boy was declared brain dead.

The decision to drop charges against Dr. Eugene Turner came as his trial was to begin and prompted a burst of cheers and applause from supporters in the courtroom. Turner, 62, could hardly speak through his tears.

“We were wonderfully surprised . . . “ said Turner’s wife, Norma. “Gene is celebrating today. He’ll go back to work tomorrow.”

Turner always believed “he did everything he could to save the life of Conor McInnerney on Jan. 12 of last year,” said defense attorney Jeff Robinson.

There was no evidence the baby’s death was caused by “any criminal or even negligent act by any other human being,” said the motion for dismissal filed by prosecutor Jim Townsend.

The baby’s parents, Martin and Michelle McInnerney, will file a negligence lawsuit against Turner, said their lawyer, Matthew Knopp.

The couple “are going to be haunted forever by the image of what Dr. Turner did while he was alone with Conor that night,” Knopp said.

“They believe that justice requires that they file a civil action in order to . . . make sure this type of thing doesn’t happen again.”

Turner was accused of stopping Conor’s breathing with his hand on Jan. 12, 1998. The infant was declared dead twice after he stopped breathing at home and was brought to the Olympic Memorial Hospital emergency room by ambulance.

Turner said the breathing he stopped was reflexive “agonal breathing” that is a sign of imminent death--and said the infant was already brain dead. Some experts and hospital staff disagreed.