Babysitter takes the stand in Haleigh Poutre abuse trial

Patricia Wen, Globe Staff

SPRINGFIELD - A young Westfield woman was portrayed by prosecutors today as a courageous witness who finally, after previous false statements to police, told the truth about the violence that she saw Jason and Holli Strickland inflict on the oldest child in their home, Haleigh Poutre.

However defense attorneys cast Alicia Weiss, 26, the former next-door neighbor of the Stricklands and longtime babysitter, as a person with no credibility because she gave conflicting stories to police and has acknowledged witnessing repeated, horrendous abuse on Haleigh but doing nothing to stop it.

In the seventh day of testimony in the child abuse trial of Haleigh's stepfather, Jason Strickland, Weiss explained that she initially kept secret from police the abuse she had witnessed because of loyalty to Holli, who she regarded as her "best friend."

"I told them the truth, but not the whole truth," said Weiss, now an aide in a day care.

In her four hours of testimony, Weiss broke down crying several times when describing her close relationship with Holli Strickland that extended over about six years. Holli gave Weiss one of her first jobs as an assistant in Holli's family day care.

Holli Strickland, Haleigh's adoptive mother, is not on trial because she died in an apparent murder-suicide with her grandmother shortly after police charged her and her husband.

Weiss is considered a critical witness because of her close ties to the family. On the afternoon of Sept. 11, 2005, while the rest of the family went to Haleigh's sister's soccer game, Weiss watched over Haleigh who she had thought was simply sleeping while suffering from a flu-like illness. She said she checked on the 11-year-old girl three times that afternoon, and saw nothing particularly wrong, except Haleigh had some foam at the side of her mouth and a scab near her chin.

She described the frantic scene that erupted shortly after the Stricklands returned from the game, and tried to rouse Haleigh, saying, "Haleigh! Haleigh! Please wake up!"

When Haleigh didn't respond, she was taken -- bruised and in a coma -- to Noble Hospital in Westfield. Hours later, Weiss said she answered two rounds of police officers' questions, describing Jason and Holli as devoted parents.

But in a third round, after seeing pictures of Haleigh's battered body attached to life-support systems, Weiss said she decided to reveal some of what she witnessed over the summer of 2005, including times when Holli struck Haleigh with a bat or kicked her in the legs, all while Jason watched. Weiss has also acknowledged at least once hitting Haleigh herself.

Weiss portrayed Holli as the chief abuser, kicking Haleigh down the stairs three times in a row when the girl allegedly did not answer a question. Weiss portrayed the stepfather as someone who did nothing to stop his wife's cruelty, or inflicted his own - though milder - form of punishment. She said that she twice saw Strickland hit Haleigh with a open hand, such as slapping her on the top of the head when she didn't answer him, or once striking her hand with a plastic tube.

When asked by defense attorney Richard Rubin if she ever questioned Holli about her actions, Weiss replied "No."

"Did you ever criticize her?" he asked. Replied Weiss: "No."

Haleigh had become the center of an end-of-life controversy when the state sought to remove her life support in the fall of 2005. The girl, now 14, has recovered to the point where she can speak some simple sentences and attends a special needs day school in Franciscan Hospital for Children in Brighton.

• Comment
• Permalink
• Email