178:. She had been investigated earlier that year by the Texas Child Protective Services (CPS) after she was hospitalized for a psychotic episode. CPS ordered that she could not be alone with her children. Her sister-in-law came to live with them until CPS lifted the order. Schlosser came to believe that Margaret was destined to marry Doyle Davidson, a veterinarian who had become their pastor. The day before she attacked Margaret, Schlosser told her husband that she wanted to give her to Davidson. Later that day, according to a confidential CPS report, he spanked her with a wooden spoon in front of their children. She fatally injured Margaret by severing her arms with a knife, while her other two daughters were not physically harmed.
213:
drugs for several years prior to
Margaret's death. Davidson thought that mental illness was demonic and this belief partly led Schlosser's husband to not buy her medication regularly. Under oath, Davidson testified that in his view, all mental illness is demonic at bottom. Due to viewer outcry after
217:
After
Schlosser's arrest, her children were taken by CPS and kept in foster care. CPS said they would only allow her husband to regain custody of them under the condition that his sister live with the family, and he was required to complete psychotherapy and parenting classes. He received full
218:
custody of his daughters and raised them as a single father. He subsequently filed for divorce. As part of the divorce settlement, Schlosser was prohibited from ever having contact with him or their daughters again.
181:
Psychologist David Self testified that
Schlosser told him about a disturbing news story she had seen. The news story concerned a boy who was mauled by a lion and she interpreted it as a sign of the coming
221:
On
November 6, 2008, it was announced that Schlosser would shortly be released into outpatient care. The order required her to see a psychiatrist once a week, take medication, be on physician-approved
186:. She said that she heard God commanding her to remove Margaret's arms and then her own. The attack was later described as "religious frenzy". Self determined that she suffered from
596:
170:
Dena gave birth to her daughter
Margaret in 2004. The day after Margaret was born, Schlosser attempted suicide, was hospitalized in a psychiatric ward, and was diagnosed with
116:
call made by concerned workers at a local daycare center who had spoken to her earlier that day. The operator testified that she confessed to her and that the gospel song "
704:
538:
886:
629:
416:
861:
871:
513:
725:
896:
386:
661:
606:
568:
901:
743:
891:
120:" played in the background. When police arrived they saw her calmly sitting down, covered in blood, holding the knife, and singing
232:
saw her walking down the street at 2:00 AM. Her attorney, David Haynes, said that he felt the judge made the correct decision.
701:
881:
688:
810:
546:
781:
148:
851:
639:
339:
198:
and ordered to go there until she is deemed to no longer be a threat to herself or others. There, she was a roommate of
856:
762:
264:
195:
426:
508:
286:
162:
She met her husband, John
Schlosser, when they were both students at Marist. Eventually they moved to Texas.
666:
601:
573:
876:
846:
205:
During the trial, much attention was drawn to
Schlosser and her husband attending Water of Life Church, a
906:
108:, born 1969) is an American woman who lived in Plano, Texas, who, on November 22, 2004, used a knife to
866:
841:
299:
235:
Schlosser was later released to outpatient status. She stayed out of the public eye until 2012, when
206:
187:
152:
117:
112:
the arms of her ten-month-old daughter, Margaret, who died as a result. Plano police responded to a
450:
378:
370:
344:
127:
Hours after her arrest, police heard her repeatedly chanting, "Thank you, Jesus. Thank you, Lord."
382:
229:
503:
478:
314:
171:
71:
41:
708:
634:
421:
254:
As of
December 2020, Dena Schlosser was ordered to remain committed to a state hospital.
214:
the trial, Davidson's television ministry was canceled everywhere outside the
Metroplex.
757:
304:
294:
248:
144:
140:
63:
53:
228:
In April 2010, it was reported that
Schlosser was recommitted after firefighters from
835:
375:
Secrets Can Be Murder: What America's Most Sensational Crimes Tell Us About Ourselves
222:
210:
191:
136:
309:
273:
199:
121:
143:
into her brain, heart and abdomen before she was 13 years old. She graduated from
662:"Dena Schlosser, Plano mom who cut off baby's arms, moving to outpatient care"
183:
156:
109:
101:
175:
67:
448:
Emily, Jennifer (December 8, 2004). "Plano mom faced ridicule as a child".
271:
There is also a segment about Schlosser in an August 23, 2013, episode of
473:
468:
504:"Psychologist says Schlosser didn't do enough to protect slain daughter"
712:
630:"Whatever You Do, Don't Sip the Water of Life. It's Really Crazy Juice"
244:
236:
240:
243:
reported that she was working under her maiden name, Leitner, at a
726:"Experts: Job loss a blow to Plano mother who severed baby's arms"
113:
202:, a Texas woman who had drowned her five children in a bathtub.
767:
744:"Plano woman who killed her infant remains in state hospital"
702:
Mother who killed her child found working in area Walmart
225:, and not have any unsupervised contact with children.
135:
At the age of eight, Dena Leitner was diagnosed with
410:
408:
406:
404:
402:
400:
398:
262:Schlosser was briefly seen in the 2005 documentary
86:
78:
59:
49:
30:
23:
782:"Investigation Discovery | August 2013 Highlights"
539:"Dena Schlosser Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity"
209:church pastored by Davidson. She had been taking
498:
496:
334:
332:
597:"Schlosser and Yates find solace in friendship"
8:
689:Mom Who Cut Off Baby's Arms Back in Hospital
569:"Schlosser case ends with insanity ruling"
469:"Mother confesses to severing baby's arms"
20:
533:
531:
365:
363:
463:
461:
328:
887:People acquitted by reason of insanity
340:"Mother Says God Told Her to Cut Baby"
268:, which is critical of Christianity.
139:. She had eight surgeries to implant
100:
7:
862:Incidents of violence against girls
516:from the original on March 12, 2016
18:American murder defendant (b. 1969)
14:
872:Child murder in the United States
628:Wilonsky, Robert (May 20, 2008).
415:Whitley, Glenna (May 18, 2006).
251:. Within hours, they fired her.
192:not guilty by reason of insanity
90:3 (including Margaret Schlosser)
811:"Evil Guardians | Deadly Women"
700:Shipp, Brett; Woodard, Teresa.
605:. April 8, 2006. Archived from
545:. April 8, 2006. Archived from
417:"The Devil and Doyle Davidson"
1:
897:People with bipolar disorder
789:cf-media.press.discovery.com
38:1969 (age 54–55)
923:
815:investigationdiscovery.com
196:North Texas State Hospital
902:People with hydrocephalus
707:January 15, 2013, at the
509:Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
277:called "Evil Guardians".
194:and was committed to the
892:People from Plano, Texas
763:The God Who Wasn't There
287:Murder of Zachary Turner
265:The God Who Wasn't There
770:). Beyond Belief Media.
667:The Dallas Morning News
602:The Dallas Morning News
574:The Dallas Morning News
149:Poughkeepsie, New York
882:Marist College alumni
691:NBC Dallas-Fort Worth
512:. February 11, 2005.
165:
746:. December 16, 2020.
642:on December 22, 2014
609:on December 11, 2008
379:Simon & Schuster
371:Velez-Mitchell, Jane
300:Deanna Laney murders
188:postpartum psychosis
852:American Christians
549:on December 9, 2007
481:. November 23, 2004
451:Dallas Morning News
429:on December 3, 2013
348:. February 21, 2006
345:The Washington Post
291:Filicide in Texas:
857:Filicides in Texas
670:. November 8, 2008
176:psychotic features
72:reason of insanity
732:. August 8, 2012.
715:, August 6, 2012.
388:978-0-7432-9936-7
377:. New York City:
190:. She was found
153:bachelor's degree
94:
93:
914:
826:
825:
823:
821:
807:
801:
800:
798:
796:
786:
778:
772:
771:
754:
748:
747:
740:
734:
733:
722:
716:
698:
692:
686:
680:
679:
677:
675:
658:
652:
651:
649:
647:
638:. Archived from
625:
619:
618:
616:
614:
593:
587:
586:
584:
582:
565:
559:
558:
556:
554:
535:
526:
525:
523:
521:
500:
491:
490:
488:
486:
479:Associated Press
465:
456:
455:
445:
439:
438:
436:
434:
425:. Archived from
412:
393:
392:
367:
358:
357:
355:
353:
336:
315:Yaser Abdel Said
172:bipolar disorder
166:Margaret's death
104:
21:
922:
921:
917:
916:
915:
913:
912:
911:
832:
831:
830:
829:
819:
817:
809:
808:
804:
794:
792:
784:
780:
779:
775:
756:
755:
751:
742:
741:
737:
724:
723:
719:
709:Wayback Machine
699:
695:
687:
683:
673:
671:
660:
659:
655:
645:
643:
635:Dallas Observer
627:
626:
622:
612:
610:
595:
594:
590:
580:
578:
577:. April 7, 2007
567:
566:
562:
552:
550:
537:
536:
529:
519:
517:
502:
501:
494:
484:
482:
467:
466:
459:
447:
446:
442:
432:
430:
422:Dallas Observer
414:
413:
396:
389:
369:
368:
361:
351:
349:
338:
337:
330:
325:
283:
260:
168:
133:
60:Criminal charge
50:Alma mater
45:
39:
37:
36:
26:
19:
12:
11:
5:
920:
918:
910:
909:
904:
899:
894:
889:
884:
879:
874:
869:
864:
859:
854:
849:
844:
834:
833:
828:
827:
802:
773:
758:Brian Flemming
749:
735:
717:
693:
681:
653:
620:
588:
560:
527:
492:
457:
440:
394:
387:
359:
327:
326:
324:
321:
320:
319:
318:
317:
312:
307:
305:Darlie Routier
302:
297:
295:John Battaglia
289:
282:
279:
259:
256:
167:
164:
145:Marist College
132:
129:
97:Dena Schlosser
92:
91:
88:
84:
83:
82:John Schlosser
80:
76:
75:
64:Capital murder
61:
57:
56:
54:Marist College
51:
47:
46:
40:
34:
32:
28:
27:
25:Dena Schlosser
24:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
919:
908:
905:
903:
900:
898:
895:
893:
890:
888:
885:
883:
880:
878:
877:Living people
875:
873:
870:
868:
865:
863:
860:
858:
855:
853:
850:
848:
847:2004 in Texas
845:
843:
840:
839:
837:
816:
812:
806:
803:
791:. August 2013
790:
783:
777:
774:
769:
765:
764:
759:
753:
750:
745:
739:
736:
731:
727:
721:
718:
714:
710:
706:
703:
697:
694:
690:
685:
682:
669:
668:
663:
657:
654:
641:
637:
636:
631:
624:
621:
608:
604:
603:
598:
592:
589:
576:
575:
570:
564:
561:
548:
544:
540:
534:
532:
528:
515:
511:
510:
505:
499:
497:
493:
480:
476:
475:
470:
464:
462:
458:
453:
452:
444:
441:
428:
424:
423:
418:
411:
409:
407:
405:
403:
401:
399:
395:
390:
384:
380:
376:
372:
366:
364:
360:
347:
346:
341:
335:
333:
329:
322:
316:
313:
311:
308:
306:
303:
301:
298:
296:
293:
292:
290:
288:
285:
284:
280:
278:
276:
275:
269:
267:
266:
257:
255:
252:
250:
246:
242:
238:
233:
231:
226:
224:
223:birth control
219:
215:
212:
211:antipsychotic
208:
203:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
179:
177:
173:
163:
160:
158:
154:
150:
146:
142:
138:
137:hydrocephalus
130:
128:
125:
123:
119:
118:He Touched Me
115:
111:
107:
103:
98:
89:
85:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
62:
58:
55:
52:
48:
43:
33:
29:
22:
16:
907:Plano, Texas
818:. Retrieved
814:
805:
793:. Retrieved
788:
776:
761:
752:
738:
729:
720:
696:
684:
674:November 11,
672:. Retrieved
665:
656:
646:December 22,
644:. Retrieved
640:the original
633:
623:
611:. Retrieved
607:the original
600:
591:
579:. Retrieved
572:
563:
551:. Retrieved
547:the original
542:
518:. Retrieved
507:
483:. Retrieved
472:
449:
443:
431:. Retrieved
427:the original
420:
374:
350:. Retrieved
343:
310:Andrea Yates
274:Deadly Women
272:
270:
263:
261:
258:In the media
253:
234:
227:
220:
216:
204:
200:Andrea Yates
180:
169:
161:
134:
126:
105:
96:
95:
35:Dena Leitner
15:
867:Infanticide
842:1969 births
730:Dallas News
520:December 1,
433:December 1,
207:charismatic
131:Early years
836:Categories
323:References
230:Richardson
184:apocalypse
157:psychology
820:April 19,
795:April 19,
613:March 19,
581:August 5,
553:March 19,
485:March 19,
352:March 19,
151:, with a
122:Christian
68:acquitted
705:Archived
543:OTB News
514:Archived
474:NBC News
373:(2007).
281:See also
110:amputate
87:Children
42:New York
713:WFAA-TV
249:Terrell
245:Walmart
237:WFAA-TV
124:hymns.
106:Leitner
385:
241:Dallas
141:shunts
79:Spouse
44:, U.S.
785:(PDF)
174:with
114:9-1-1
822:2018
797:2018
676:2008
648:2014
615:2007
583:2009
555:2007
522:2013
487:2007
435:2013
383:ISBN
354:2007
31:Born
768:DVD
247:in
239:in
155:in
147:in
102:née
70:by
838::
813:.
787:.
760:.
728:.
711:.
664:.
632:.
599:.
571:.
541:.
530:^
506:.
495:^
477:.
471:.
460:^
419:.
397:^
381:.
362:^
342:.
331:^
159:.
824:.
799:.
766:(
678:.
650:.
617:.
585:.
557:.
524:.
489:.
454:.
437:.
391:.
356:.
99:(
74:)
66:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.