2nd prayer death leads to prison sentences for parents

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Herbert and Catherine Schaible will face prison for refusing to seek medical treatment as two of their children were dying of pneumonia.

The Rhawnhurst, Pa., couple were sentenced to 3 1/2 to seven years in prison each for doing nothing but pray as two of their nine children grew sick and died from the treatable lung infection.

"I don't have any pipeline to Heaven," said Common Pleas Court Judge Benjamin Lerner in court Wednesday, "but I do know that it wasn't God who decided to take [your son]. It was you two who took him."

The Schaibles pleaded no contest in November to third degree murder in the April death of their 8-month-old son, Brandon. They were already on 10 years' probation after they were convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of their son Kent, 2, in 2009, from a pneumonia infection.

Herbert, 45, and Catherine, 44, reaffirmed their belief in prayer healing, as taught at First Century Gospel Church in Juniata Park, where the Schaibles are members. But Herbert Schaible promised to follow court rules "to a T" when he was released.

"I knew this was going to happen," said an emotional Assistant District Attorney Joanne Pescatore, who also prosecuted the case against the Schaibles in Kent's death. "We told them this was going to happen, and nobody listened."

The seven surviving Schaible children have been placed in foster care, but Pescatore warned that another child will die if the Schaibles are allowed to regain custody of their children after their release from prison.

"They just don't get it," she said. "It doesn't matter what sentence you give them, they don't get it. They've got two dead children -- I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy."

[Philadelphia Inquirer]