Mother guilty of attempted murder of son

BEVERLY, Mass., April 12 (UPI) -- A mother from Beverly, Mass., was convicted of trying to murder her autistic son by withholding the cancer medication meant to save his life.

Assistant District Attorney Kate MacDougall delivered closing arguments Monday saying single mother Kristen A. LaBrie, 38, committed a crime by not giving chemotherapy medications to her 6-year-old autistic son, Jeremy Fraser. Defense attorney Kevin James argued she withheld them because watching her son go through the side effects was unbearable, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday.

LaBrie had testified she thought her son was cancer-free, and she withheld the prescribed medication because of the pain it caused him.

Citing the "unique nature of this case," James asked for a continuance after the verdict was read to prepare his argument for Friday's sentencing hearing. A charge of attempted murder carries a maximum sentence of 20 years.

"I have a lot of people I'd like to get in touch with," he said.

LaBrie's son was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma in October 2006, In February 2008 doctors noticed he was not being given his medications and he was placed in the custody of his father, Eric Fraser.

Jeremy died in 2009 after his illness progressed to leukemia. His father died a year later in a motorcycle accident.