Friday, October 11, 1996

Seals gets 80 years in baby's death By RICHARD HORN
Senior Staff Writer

A court decided Cynthia Seals' fate Thursday, and another court will almost certainly play a role in what happens to the baby she's carrying.

"I anticipate the state being involved with what happens with this baby when it's born," District Attorney James Eidson said. "I've spoken to Child Protective Services about things that would possibly be done, but it's probably too early to speculate."

Seals, sentenced to 80 years in prison Thursday for fatally injuring her 8-month-old daughter, is at least seven months pregnant; testimony showed she was carrying a child at the time of Kirstian George's funeral on March 30.

The baby's father, who is a different man than Kirstian's father, is in drug rehabilitation, testimony showed, and has had run-ins with the law.

Seals' parents, devastated by the long prison sentence their daughter received, said Thursday afternoon they would seek custody of the baby and let her daughter see the child as much as possible.

"We've got to do something to help," Gerald Phillips, Seals' stepfather, said. "That's about all that's left for us."

But it's doubtful Seals herself, given the charge on which she's been convicted, would have much say in where her baby is placed. And Thursday's punishment hearing for Seals suggested the state may question whether Seals' parents would provide the best home for the child.

"I'm sure CPS would do a study and see if that would be in the child's best interests," Eidson said. "That hasn't been done yet."

CPS officials do not comment on specific cases. In general when a baby is born to an imprisoned mother, prison officials would first notify family, said Mark Marsh, the state's regional director for protective and regulatory services.

"If there's any kind of situation to indicate family might not be available for the child," he said, "the prison system will notify us and we'll work with them to see what we can do to find an adequate placement, either by completing home studies on family members who might be available or possible placement for foster care."

A state district family court would ultimately decide placement.

Seals, meanwhile, is receiving medical care at Taylor County Jail. The prison system would take over care if the baby has not been born by the time she's transfered to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.