Expert Says Man Was Jabbed by Baseball Bat
Blood-stained clothes worn by a Simi Valley man suggest that he was hit at close range but with minimal force, a crime scene expert testified Thursday in the trial of the man’s wife and stepdaughter.
Eileen Childs, 37, and her daughter, Jennifer Childs, 19, are accused of trying to kill 57-year-old Larry Childs by setting fire to his bed and then beating him with baseball bats.
They are each charged with attempted murder, arson and the use of deadly weapons. Eileen Childs faces added child endangerment charges because her sons were in the house at the time of the March fire.
“The striking would be little bitty jabs versus a large baseball swing,” said Edwin Jones, a Ventura County forensic scientist.
Prosecutors contend the mother and daughter conspired to kill Larry Childs to collect on $1.4 million in life insurance.
Defense attorneys argue the women acted in self-defense.
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