Genesse Moreno: Munchausen claims emerged against Lakewood Church gunwoman who took son, 7, to shooting spree
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HOUSTON, TEXAS: Genesse Ivonne Moreno, the gunwoman behind the tragic Lakewood Church shooting, reportedly brought her son, 7, to Pastor Joel Osteen's Houston congregation on Sunday, February 11, which resulted in her death and left her son fighting for life after he was caught in the crossfire.
The distressing shooting left many horrified and heartbroken, not only due to the senseless act of violence but also the fact that a parent would involve their child in such a tragedy.
Genesse Moreno's allegedly suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy aka factitious disorder imposed on another
Moreno had a criminal record with numerous mugshots as she was charged in six criminal cases between 2005 and 2011 in Harris County but surprisingly was never charged with medical child abuse.
However, court documents from her divorce shed light on accusations that she suffered from Munchausen syndrome by proxy or factitious disorder imposed on another, allegedly making her own son sick.
Harvard Medical School Associate Professor Cathy Ayoub describes Munchausen syndrome by proxy as a "psychiatric disorder in which the individual is fully cognizant of what they're doing, but very deliberately induces illness."
"These perpetrators operate with a great deal of deception and manipulation. They're a very dangerous criminal and will torture their own child," added Donna Boswell, a licensed clinical social worker.
Some of the alarming details found in the divorce filing include nurses finding adult pills in the seven-year-old's endotracheal tube during his hospitalization. Further adult pills were found in his feeding tube.
Moreover, it's stated that the child "was drug exposed by his mother’s intentional use of illegal substances."
The documents further stated that the child, who was not potty-trained and still relied on a feeding tube, "suffered by his mother ignoring medical advice, not taking him to therapy for eating, speech, and not giving him any social interaction," as per FOX 26.
Genesse Moreno apparently intentionally caused pre-term labor
Medical professionals expressed fears in the documents that Moreno intentionally caused her pre-term labor, leading to her son being born prematurely. They characterized her perception of the child as an "object," a troubling symptom often associated with Munchausen syndrome by proxy.
"There's just not the normal mother-child bond. I had a 3-year-old saying, 'I don't need my mommy anymore', the day after separation. That is not normal behavior from a 3-year-old," emphasized Tarrant County Sheriff's Office Detective Michael Weber, who has helped scores of children who were victims of medical child abuse.
Experts urge individuals to report suspected cases of Munchausen syndrome by proxy to Child Protective Services or law enforcement and advise vigilance for signs of medical child abuse, such as a child who remains persistently ill and a parent seeking opinions from various doctors instead of maintaining a consistent pediatrician.
