By Lisa Chmelecki,Staff Writer

AUBURN – The jury charged with deciding whether Sarah Allen is guilty of killing her adopted son has heard all of the evidence in the case.

Lawyers for the state and the defense questioned their final witnesses Monday.

Both sides are scheduled to present their closing arguments Tuesday. Then the jurors will begin their deliberations.

Allen, 31, faces a charge of manslaughter for allegedly shaking her son, Nathaniel, with enough force to inflict fatal brain and neck injuries. She called 911 at about 10 p.m. on Feb. 14, 2003, after noticing that the 21-month-old was unconscious.

The boy never regained consciousness. He was taken off a life-support system two days later.

The state presented several medical experts who agreed that Nathaniel Allen died from inflicted head and neck injuries, most likely caused by an acceleration-deceleration movement.

The defense countered those conclusions by presenting its own medical experts, who testified that the boy suffered developmental delays and showed signs of having a pre-existing brain disorder.

A brain specialist from Rhode Island who studied samples of the boy’s eyes and brain concluded that Nathaniel Allen likely had a metabolic disorder that eventually caused him to have a seizure and die.

Allen opted Monday not to testify. Under Maine law, the jury cannot use that decision against her.

In order to convict the Lisbon mom of manslaughter, the jurors must decide beyond a reasonable doubt that she caused her son’s death by acting negligently or with criminal negligence.

They will be instructed to take as long as they need to reach a unanimous decision.

Allen has stood trial once before. Her case was presented last June, but the trial ended without a verdict. The 12 jurors could not reach a unanimous decision after deliberating for 18 hours.

Copy the Story Link