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The notorious 1997 Louise Woodward case is the focus of ID's upcoming docuseries, The Killer Nanny. Woodward was arrested after being accused of violently shaking a baby named Matthew Eappen. Doctors reportedly concluded that the infant died from brain damage caused by the shaken baby syndrome.
Woodward was initially found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison, but her conviction was later reduced to involuntary manslaughter. As the series is set to premiere on Investigation Discovery on Sunday, here are three shocking details about the Louise Woodward case.
ID's Killer Nanny: 3 shocking things about the Louise Woodward case you need to know
1) Louise Woodward was Matthew Eappen's au pair
Perhaps the most shocking thing about the case is that Louise Woodward worked as the au pair for Matthew Eappen. Woodward, 19 at the time, is a British woman from England who reportedly moved to the US. She was hired by Matthew's parents, Deborah and Sunil, who are doctors based in Massachusetts.
According to A&E, on February 4, 1997, Woodward was also caring for the couple's elder son, who was two years old at the time. The couple reportedly had issues with Woodward's services and had earlier sent her a warning. On February 4, Woodward dialed 911 and reported to the authorities that Matthew couldn't breathe, following which he was taken to the Children's Hospital in Boston.
2) Matthew Eappen's injuries
Per A&E, Matthew Eappen had suffered from bleeding in between the skull and the brain, also known as subdural hematoma, along with a skull fracture and bleeding at the back of his eyes. His wrist was also reportedly broken. According to A&E, doctors at the hospital confirmed that this was a case of shaken baby syndrome.
During the trial, the defense presented evidence that Matthew suffered blood clots in his brain three weeks before the alleged incident. His wrist was also reportedly broken a couple of weeks before February 4, when he was taken to the hospital after experiencing trouble breathing.
3) Woodward admitted to shaking the baby
As per A&E, Woodward took the stand and admitted that she'd shaken the baby in order to wake him up. However, she mentioned that she wasn't violent. She'd earlier told the police that she'd ''popped'' the infant on the bed, which reportedly led to the police concluding that she'd dropped the baby on the bed.
There was a massive argument regarding the word ''popped'' that Woodward had allegedly used. ''Popped'' in British English means placing something or someone, whereas in American English it could suggest something violent.
Woodward was handed a life sentence with no possibility of parole until 15 years after a jury found her guilty of second-degree murder in October 1997. However, her legal team filed for an appeal, post which the judge reduced her conviction to involuntary manslaughter.
She was sentenced to 279 days in prison, which by then she'd already served. She was subsequently released from prison, following which she studied law and tied the knot with an entrepreneur named Antony Elkes in 2013.
You can watch The Killer Nanny on ID on Sunday, August 21, 2022.
