Opinion ID: 1057682
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Testimony of Amanda Silcox

Text: Amanda Silcox testified that S.H. was born at the Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center (Fort Sanders) in Knoxville approximately a year after she and the Defendant began living together in Oak Ridge. The Defendant worked intermittently at a Sonic restaurant, quitting and then returning to his job on multiple occasions over the term of his relationship with Silcox. During her pregnancy, Silcox also worked at Sonic, leaving her job only shortly before the birth of her child. During her stay at Fort Sanders, Silcox was provided with basic instructions for the care of her infant. She confirmed, for example, that both she and the Defendant knew to hold S.H. in such a way as to support her head and body. In early July, Silcox went back to work at Sonic. For the first few days, when both she and the Defendant were employed there, her mother cared for S.H. On the fourth day, however, the Defendant, without notifying Silcox of his intentions to do so, again quit his job. Thereafter, he undertook the duty of caring for S.H. during Silcox's absence. On July 13, 2003, the couple lived in a residential neighborhood less than five minutes from the Oak Ridge Methodist Medical Center (Methodist). Silcox drove the couple's car to work, leaving the Defendant home alone with S.H. and without transportation. When Silcox returned from work at approximately six or seven that evening, the Defendant hugged her and tearfully explained that he had fallen with S.H. while carrying some laundry up the staircase. The two decided to take S.H. to Children's Hospital, despite the close proximity of Methodist, explaining that they preferred a hospital specializing in children, not because they feared the Methodist health providers would contact Oak Ridge law enforcement. Silcox also implied that her family members had encountered difficulties with Methodist on prior occasions. When asked if she called ahead to Children's Hospital, Silcox replied that she did not have a telephone at the time. Silcox described S.H.'s right leg as swollen and bluish-purple, and recalled that S.H. cried when a physician at Children's Hospital examined her. Doctors placed a splint on S.H.'s right leg, discharged her, and instructed Silcox and the Defendant to follow up with their pediatrician, Dr. Morris, in two to three days. [3] Silcox saw Dr. Morris two days later. The Defendant was present. Although the swelling was reduced, S.H.'s right leg was still swollen and discolored. Dr. Morris directed the couple to immediately return to Children's Hospital for additional x-rays. There, the treating physicians authorized further x-rays and scheduled an appointment with orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Mark Turner for the following day. Dr. Turner ordered more x-rays and instructed Silcox to follow up with Dr. Morris. On July 24, 2003, eleven days after she first reported the leg injury, Silcox again took S.H. to see Dr. Morris, with whom she had already scheduled a routine two-month check up. After Dr. Morris removed S.H.'s splint and observed her foot, he directed Silcox to take S.H. back to Children's Hospital for a full-body, skeletal x-ray. Silcox complied, and, afterwards, S.H. was admitted to the hospital. On the same day, Silcox gave a written statement to Detective Ron Boucher of the Oak Ridge Police Department, who had initiated an investigation for possible child abuse. Her explanation of the events to Detective Boucher was as follows: David said he ... fell on the steps with [S.H.]. He said he went downstairs to get the laundry and took her with him. He then carried her in one arm and the basket in the other. He said he started up the stairs and tripped on the steps and fell face first and landed on top of her. He said when he fell her right leg bent back. He then took her on upstairs and fed and changed her. He said she acted fine and went to sleep. He also said that she slept for a while [and] then woke up and ... he then noticed the bruises on her leg. As a part of her statement to the police, Silcox claimed that she had never hurt S.H. and had never suspected the Defendant of any wrongdoing. In August of 2003, Silcox was again questioned by police, this time by Knoxville Police Department investigator Gary Anders. When asked at trial if she had informed Anders during his interrogation that the Defendant had tossed S.H. into the air, Silcox replied that she had no recollection of using those words. She did recall a prior occasion when the Defendant held S.H. in the air, but she contended that he did not throw her or let her go. When asked if she remembered telling the prosecution just prior to the trial that the Defendant had, in fact, put her up in the air just a little bit and caught her, she admitted having made the statement, but explained that what I meant was put her up in the air but didn't take his hands off of her and then just brought her back down. When pressed, Silcox replied, I didn't actually mean  it may have come out that way. I understand that. Silcox acknowledged during her testimony that she still lived with the Defendant and continued to be romantically involved with him. She stated that her purpose in testifying was to help him. Silcox admitted that after S.H. was hospitalized and then taken into Department of Children's Services custody, she understood that she had to make a choice between S.H. and the Defendant. She acknowledged that she had chosen to maintain her relationship with the Defendant.