MICHIGAN — This Monday, Seth Welch and Tatiana Fusari were charged with the first-degree murder of their 10-month-old baby, Mary Anne Welch.
According to reports, an autopsy found that Mary Anne died of malnutrition and dehydration, resulting from her parents refusal get her medical care when her condition worsened. Local NBC affiliate WOODTV.com reported that the parents’ religious beliefs played a role in denying their baby medical care, along with their fear that the baby would be taken away by child protective services.
“During interviews with both parents, admissions were made that they were aware of Mary Welch’s skinny appearance and low weight for at least one month prior to this date,” an affidavit signed by a Kent County detective. stated.
“Tatiana Fusari admitted during the interview that they failed to reach out for medical help with their daughter for fear of having her children removed by Child Protective Services, lack of faith and trust in the medical services and religious reasons,” the affidavit continued.
Police say Welch called 9-11 last Thursday afternoon after he found his daughter dead in her crib. The couple had two other children and ran a business out of their home selling farm products. Welch was open about his religious beliefs which caused them to shun Western medicine.
At the home, Seth Welch displayed his faith on handpainted signs nailed to trees and on the fence out front. “Repent. Believe. Obey,” one message painted in white reads.
CPS, their distrust of doctors and their religious beliefs have been topics of some of Seth Welch’s rambling videos on Facebook.
On doctors: “They’re priesthoods of the medical cult,” he said.
On vaccines: “The righteous shall live by faith. It’s God who is sovereign over disease and those sorts of things and, of course, ultimately deaths.”
He says someone called CPS about him when he at first refused to get his oldest daughter vaccinated, and that he didn’t get his other two kids, including Mary, vaccinated.
Video of the couple’s arraignment was shared across social media. As the judge read the charges and explained the prison sentences they face, Welch opened his mouth in seeming disbelief while Fusari wept.
Accordiing to WOODTV.com, Welch recently announced that his wife is pregnant with their fourth child.
[Friendly Atheist] Featured image via screen grab
