Inset, left to right: Matthew Tucker and Cassandra Barlow-Tucker in court (WRGB). Background: The courtroom where the defendants were sentenced (WRGB).
A couple from Massachusetts has been sentenced to prison following the death of their 10-month-old foster child, as a jury determined they neglected to obtain necessary medical attention for the sick infant.
On Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Tracy Duncan sentenced Matthew Tucker and Cassandra Barlow-Tucker, residents of Adams, to serve three to five years in a state correctional facility. This decision comes after their involvement in the death of Kristoff Zenopolous, as prosecutors revealed.
The sentencing followed the jury’s verdict last month, which found both individuals guilty of one count of involuntary manslaughter and one count of reckless child endangerment.
Judge Duncan decided the couple’s sentences should be served consecutively, with Barlow-Tucker starting her term first, then followed by Tucker. This arrangement considers the couple’s responsibility towards their four other children. In addition to their prison terms, the couple will be on probation and permanently banned from serving as foster parents or caregivers for children.
“No sentence can reverse the loss of this child. This was a preventable and profoundly tragic incident,” stated Assistant District Attorney Andrew Covington. “We hope today’s decision offers a degree of justice and closure for the child’s family and loved ones.”
The couple’s convictions are linked to the tragic passing of their foster son, a 10-month-old baby who succumbed to an untreated illness while under their care.
According to a report from Springfield, Massachusetts, NBC affiliate WWLP, the child died from complications related to a strep infection, bronchopneumonia, and empyema on Feb. 18, 2020. Medical experts testified at trial that those conditions are all typically treatable with timely care.
Prosecutors said Tucker and Barlow-Tucker failed to seek medical attention despite clear indications the infant was seriously ill. Trial evidence showed the child had been suffering symptoms for an extended period — as long as several weeks — prior to his death. Prosecutors argued that the defendants also left the infant unattended for about 14 hours before they found him unresponsive, Schenectady CBS affiliate WRGB reported.
“The child should be celebrating his seventh birthday next month. Instead, he died at just ten months old because the defendants, his foster parents, failed to seek medical treatment despite clear and obvious signs that he needed care,” Andrew Covington said after the couple’s convictions. “As special prosecutors assigned to this case, we felt a duty to see the matter through and ensure accountability.”
However, defense attorneys argued the child had preexisting respiratory issues and that the couple believed his symptoms were related to illness already affecting the household, reportedly following prior medical advice to monitor him at home.
Ultimately, the jury sided with prosecutors, finding that the couple’s inaction amounted to criminal negligence.
Prosecutors had recommended a five-year prison sentence followed by probation, while the defense sought no prison time.
In addition to their incarceration, Tucker will serve five years of probation and Barlow-Tucker will serve three years following her release.
