MANSFIELD, Texas, May 25 (UPI) -- A Texas man warned not to leave his wife alone with their infant son has been charged with abandonment after his wife killed the baby, court papers say.
Michael Maxon, 54, of Mansfield knowingly left his son with his wife, Valeria Maxon, 33, despite being warned by healthcare workers not to do so, The Dallas Morning News reported Sunday. He is free on bond pending trial and could be sentenced to 20 years in prison if convicted.
"To my knowledge, no action has been taken against the fathers until now," noted George Dix, a University of Texas law professor in Austin.
Valeria Maxon drowned her baby June 30, 2006. She was placed in a state mental hospital after a judge found her not guilty by reason of insanity.
Court papers say she was despondent over her son's delayed development and blamed her breast milk for his disorders.
Michael Maxon allegedly recorded tapes for his wife to hear in which he repeatedly chanted such things as "Our son is riding on the short bus," "Life is so deliciously miserable" and "I am a mother. It's all my fault."
