On this day, Feb. 4, in 1987, Marybeth Tinning confessed to killing three of her children. Tinning is believed to have killed eight of her children in all. In 13 years, from 1972 to 1985, Tinning had nine of her children die in Schenectady, N.Y. The first was eight days old. Since the baby never left the hospital, authorities consider her death the only case above suspicion. Within nine weeks, two of her other children, ages 2 and 4, died. After the ninth death of one of her children, the hospital called state police. Tinning confessed to three killings — telling investigators, “I smothered them with a pillow because I’m not a good mother” — but denied killing the others. She was convicted of murder and is serving 20 years to life. Hers is one of the most extreme cases of Munchausen syndrome, a disorder in which a person causes injury to a child usually to gain attention.
— Scott McCabe
