Homepage > Boston News

'I Am Not A Monster,' Says Mom Accused Of Withholding Cancer Meds

Kristen LaBrie Asks That Public Not Judge Her

POSTED: 1:14 pm EDT July 8, 2009
UPDATED: 6:18 pm EDT July 8, 2009

Comments
Bookmark and Share
The mother charged with attempted murder after allegedly withholding cancer treatments from her son asked that people wait to judge her until her side of the story comes out.

"I'm definitely not a monster," said Kristen LaBrie in an exclusive interview with NewsCenter 5's Bianca de la Garza.

AP Photo/Lisa Poole, pool
LaBrie, 37, pleaded not guilty in Salem Superior Court Monday. Her son, Jeremy Fraser, 9, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2006 and died in March. Prosecutors said LaBrie canceled appointments for chemotherapy treatments and did not fill many of her son's prescriptions.

"The people that love me and care about me, they know," LaBrie said. "I don't think that cases are tried in the court of public opinion. The people that don't know me are the ones that are saying these brutal, vicious things."

LaBrie, citing instructions from her attorney, declined to specifically defend herself against the case prosecutors have brought against her, but said "We fought together, me and Jeremy."

Kristen LaBrie
"Did you do everything to save him?" de la Garza asked. "I'm not going to answer that question. I think my story will come at a trial," said LaBrie.

Jeremy's father, Eric Fraser, took care of his son in his last months of life. He was in court Monday, confident in the district attorney's case.

"She did what she did, and she knows what she did," he said. "She can say what she wants to say, but they did their investigation and we're here."

LaBrie was held on $15,000 bail and scheduled to return to court on Aug. 27 for a pre-trial conference.


Links We Like

You can pick your friends, but not your family -- or your neighbors. Here's what you need to know about how to deal with yours. More

Find out what a sputtering economy and an increasingly difficult to crack job market means to you. More

Are you often tired or rushed in the morning? Give your morning habits a makeover, and start the day feeling positive and energetic instead. More

Featured On 5