WMBD/WYZZ  TV – PEKIN -- The trial of a Morton mother accused of killing her 3 year old autistic daughter began this morning in Tazewell County court.  Opening arguments in the Karen McCarron case started this morning and six witnesses have been called.

McCarron is accused of suffocating her daughter Katie with a plastic bag on Mother's Day weekend in 2006.  McCarron's husband Paul was the first to take the stand.  He testified that McCarron never accepted their daughter's condition.  McCarron had even suggested several times that they give their daughter up for adoption.  Paul also said he was aware McCarron suffered from "on again, off again" depression.  Under examination by the defense, Paul McCarron admitted he was aware of a history of mental illness on Karen's side of the family, including her father's bi-polar disorder.  But he said her depression never manifested into any type of noticeable physical or mental problem.

The state plans to show McCarron “concealed the homicidal nature” of the three year old's death.  The state said in their opening arguments McCarron, a Clinical Pathologist, by profession knew death.  They said only when she didn’t feel a heartbeat did she remove her hands from the plastic bag covering her daughters head.  The prosecution says McCarron killed her daughter, brought Katie’s body back to her home and staged the body to look like the 3 year old was asleep – fooling McCarron’s mother and family present in the house.  The prosecution says McCarron left the home to dispose of the murder weapon – telling her family she was going to get ice cream at the Morton Kroger store.  The prosecution says when she returned, she went upstairs to check on Katie, screamed, and pretended to perform CPR on the dead body.

The defense laid the foundation of a mentally ill woman, telling jurors to listen closely to the testimony.  Defense Attorney Marc Wolfe said the state only presented a summary of events, and that testimony from McCarron’s mother, doctors and relatives will shed light onto her mental state at the time.  McCarron has spent the last year and a half at a mental health facility.  Wolfe says McCarron’s video taped confession (given at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria) will play a crucial part in the trial, but added the confession must be consistent with the physical evidence presented. 

Lisa Hill, Katie’s occupational therapist from Easter Seals also took the stand.  She testified Paul McCarron seemed to be more interested in Katie’s health.  She said it was only because Paul was more hands on then McCarron, and added McCarron still seemed to be a loving and concerned mother.  She said McCarron told her several times she thought Katie was doing worse in therapy, but Hill said she had seen an improvement. 

Two young women took the stand during the last hour of the day.  Both were to be full time caregivers for Katie, and both started working at the McCarron home the week before Katie’s death.  Both testified McCarron conveyed to them that she thought Katie’s condition was getting worse.  Both women said they thought Katie was in a much better condition than other autistic children they knew.

Finally, a manager from Kroger’s and a Morton Police officer showed pictures of McCarron leaving the grocery store with ice cream.

McCarron cried several times during the day but for the most part kept her head down.

The trial is expected to last a week and a half.