Mine An Ener

Background

Mine An Ener was a Villanova University history professor specializing in Middle East studies. She was born in Stockholm and came to the United States with her scientist-parents in 1965. She grew up in St. Paul, graduated from St. Paul Central High School, and went on to St. Paul’s Macalester College. She earned her doctorate from the University of Michigan. She took a job at Villanova in 1996 and worked in the university’s Center for Arab and Islamic Studies.

Ener had an academic record that was described as strong. John Johannes, vice president of academic affairs at Villanova, said:

"She's had a very good and strong record here," said John Johannes, vice president of academic affairs at Villanova. "She's being published and she's a good scholar. She is very accomplished."

Michael Bonner, who met Ener in the 1980s when she was attending graduate school at the University of Michigan and who currently teaches there, said the allegations were not remotely in her character:

"I always thought she was a highly motivated but balanced person," said Bonner, who edited a book with Ener.

Ener’s daughter, Raya Donagi, was born with Down syndrome and at one point needed to be fed through a tube. During the short life of Raya Donagi, she relied much of the time on a feeding tube.

The account also described Ener as struggling with postpartum depression and psychosis. Family members wondered whether a new medication regime contributed to Ener’s downward spiral.

The offence

Ener killed her infant daughter, Raya Donagi. Police said Ener used a 12-inch kitchen knife to slice the throat of the 6-month-old child. She sliced the girl’s throat twice. Ener told police she did not want the child to go through life suffering, and police said she was afraid the child might have to use a feeding tube. Ener also told police that she was having difficulty feeding the child.

Ener made an admission to the police that she killed her baby. Authorities said Ener told medics:

"I killed my baby with a knife,"

Ener’s mother and other family members also provided recalled details of the killing. Mine’s mother, Marita, recalled:

"And in just a very matter-of-fact voice, she said, 'I killed my baby,'" Mine's mother, Marita, recalled. Marita Ener found her bloody granddaughter on the bathroom floor.

A statement Ener gave to St. Paul police described how she killed Raya. She picked up baby Raya, walked to the kitchen to get a 12-inch kitchen knife, then went into the bathroom where she sliced the girl’s throat twice. She killed her daughter because she "did not want the child to go through life suffering."

Ener’s daughter relied much of the time on a feeding tube, and in the account Ener’s fear included that she might have to use a feeding tube.

Investigation

A preliminary autopsy showed that the baby bled to death from two neck wounds.

St. Paul police Sgt. Bruce Wynkoop said Ener was surrounded by a loving husband and family who wanted to help her, and said:

"She had alternatives," Wynkoop said.

St. Paul police Sgt. Bruce Wynkoop also said:

"She felt the baby was suffering," said police Sgt. Bruce Wynkoop.

Deputies and paramedics later investigated Ener’s death and interviewed other inmates that were in the day-room area.

Sheriff Bob Fletcher, who commented on Ener’s apparent suicide, said:

"It's unusual to be able to suffocate in this fashion," Sheriff Bob Fletcher said. "We're investigating it, at this point, as a suicide, but we're also interviewing other inmates that were in this day-room area."

Sheriff Bob Fletcher also said after Ener’s death:

"Our hearts go out to the family for enduring another loss," Sheriff Fletcher said. "It's another tragedy on top of another tragic situation."

Arrest

Ener was arrested and charged with second-degree murder on August 4, 2003.

A court appearance was scheduled. Ener appeared in court Wednesday, charged with second-degree murder, and the judge scheduled her arraignment for August 27 and set her bail at $500,000. She was being held in the county jail on suicide watch.

A police account also stated that Ener had thought about killing herself for several weeks.

Trial

Sentencing

Appeals

Outcome

Ener died by apparent suicide while in custody. On August 30, Ener’s body was discovered in a jail day-room. She had apparently smothered herself to death with a plastic trash bag.

The circumstances of the discovery were described as follows: Ener appeared to be sleeping on a mattress in a Ramsey County Jail day-room Saturday afternoon with a blanket pulled up over her head. Deputies checked under the blanket at 3:45 p.m. and found that she had a plastic trash bag over her head and was unconscious. Deputies and paramedics were unable to revive her, and she was pronounced dead an hour later at nearby Regions Hospital.

Aftermath

After the killing and Ener’s subsequent suicide, Villanova University removed a plaque from a library study area dedicated to Dr. Mine Ener.

Officials at Villanova University announced that they removed a plaque from a library study area dedicated to Dr. Mine Ener and would instead hold a symposium on mental illness, with special focus on post-partum depression.

The memorial in the alcove had been designed by a campus ad hoc committee and was financed by Ener’s friends, colleagues and family.

Jeanne Marie Hoffman, a student newspaper editor who protested the memorial plaque, said:

"It never mentioned that she was a mother," said Jeanne Marie Hoffman, a student newspaper editor who protested the memorial plaque. "That whole thing was glazed over. The baby was never mentioned."

Hoffman also told the Associated Press:

"It upset me," Hoffman told the Associated Press. "I thought . . . if I didn't say something, this will pass by unnoticed."

The Norristown Times Herald published an editorial and said:

"Villanova should not hold the actions of such a troubled woman in high esteem," it read.

Ener’s family sought help before the infanticide and later sought to raise awareness and funds for postpartum depression and Down syndrome advocacy groups, and asked Minnesota lawmakers to require postpartum warnings for new mothers.

In an e-mail to the newspaper, Mine Ener’s husband, Ron Donagi, Raya’s father, wrote:

"When Raya was born with Down syndrome, Mine could not forgive herself. There was nothing I could do to convince her that this was our joint responsibility, not hers alone,"

A sister-in-law, Ruth Ener, said:

"Psychosis overtook Mine without her family and friends realizing it until it was too late,"

A brother, Oran Ener (Ruth’s husband), recalled:

"She was so totally mentally crushed, you could just see it in her body," brother Oran Ener, Ruth's husband, recalled.

Another brother, Toran, said:

"What we saw happen to Mine, we feel could happen to anybody," another brother, Toran, said.

Timeline

• 1965 — Mine An Ener came to the United States with her scientist-parents.
• August 4, 2003 — Ener was arrested and charged with second-degree murder after killing her 6-month-old daughter, Raya Donagi, with a 12-inch kitchen knife.
• August 30, 2003 — Ener’s body was discovered in a jail day-room; she was pronounced dead after being found with a plastic trash bag over her head.
• February 2, 2005 — Villanova University announced the removal of a plaque from a library study area dedicated to Dr. Mine Ener and said it would hold a symposium on mental illness.
• February 14, 2005 — Family members commented on Ener’s postpartum depression and psychosis and questioned whether medication contributed to her downward spiral.
• September 3, 2003 — Reports stated Ener died in jail of apparent suicide outside her jail cell.
• August 6, 2003 — Reports stated Ener was charged with second-degree murder and quoted admissions and investigative details.
• August 7, 2003 — Reports stated Ener confessed to killing her infant daughter and included details of the timing and method.