Saw No Bruises on Lisa Steinberg, Witness Says

The defense rested Friday in the murder trial of Joel Steinberg, who is accused of beating to death his illegally adopted 6-year-old daughter.

The defense’s 13th and last witness was Joseph Thornton, superintendent of the apartment house where Steinberg and his live-in companion, Hedda Nussbaum, reared Lisa Steinberg.

Thornton testified that he had frequently seen Lisa playing with friends, walking with Steinberg or riding on Steinberg’s shoulders. He said he never saw bruises on the child and never saw Steinberg mistreat her.

Steinberg did not testify.

After resting his case, defense lawyer Ira London told reporters outside the courtroom that the prosecution had not proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Steinberg, 47, inflicted the injuries that killed Lisa on Nov. 5, 1987.

State Supreme Court Justice Harold Rothwax scheduled the defense summation for Thursday. The trial is in its 11th week.

In other testimony, a psychiatrist said Nussbaum had no need of hospitalization for mental care after Lisa’s death.

Azarian Eshkenazi testified Thursday that Nussbaum could benefit from outpatient psychiatric care, but that in November, 1987, she was oriented and coherent with “absolutely no thought disorder.”

“I did not find any mental disorder that would require her to be psychiatrically hospitalized,” said Eshkenazi, head of mental health services for women prisoners at Elmhurst Hospital Center.

Steinberg’s attorneys have claimed that Nussbaum, 46, who has spent the past year in a psychiatric facility, is a “malingerer” and a “fraud” who remains hospitalized to win sympathy and to avoid prosecution.

She had been charged along with Steinberg in the girl’s death, but charges were dropped and she became the government’s chief witness.

The prosecution contends Nussbaum was too battered and emotionally crippled to harm Lisa.

After Thursday’s trial session, Steinberg continued his court-ordered examination by prosecution psychiatrist Martin Brecher, keeping open his insanity defense option. The first examination interview Wednesday lasted three hours.