Christine Falling

Case record: Christine Falling

Christine Falling (1980-1982) was a 17-year-old babysitter from Perry, Florida.

Background

Christine Falling was born in Perry, Florida on March 12, 1963. She was raised in a poor family. She was obese and developmentally disabled, and she was never able to acquire developmental skills beyond those of a sixth-grader. She suffered from epileptic seizures and required a regular dose of medication to control them.

Falling had aggressive behavior and a violent nature. During childhood she dropped cats from lethal heights to “test their nine lives,” and she also strangled them as a way of showing them her “love.”

Christine and her older sister were placed in a children’s refuge in Orlando for a year when Christine was nine years old. Before that, the two girls had been adopted by the Falling family. They later found themselves in constant conflict with their adoptive parents, which led to placement in the children’s home near Orlando, Florida.

At the age of twelve, Falling left the children’s home to locate her birth mother and eventually found her in Blountstown, Florida. At the age of fourteen, Falling met and married a local man a decade older than her. Their marriage lasted six weeks due to the violent fights they would have, and the relationship collapsed in a chaotic series of violent encounters, after which the couple permanently separated.

After the break-up, Falling lapsed into a hypochondriac phase and went to the hospital fifty times for reasons including “red spots,” vaginal bleeding, and snakebite. Doctors rarely found any treatable symptoms. Falling later visited a local hospital “more than fifty times with an endless series of strange medical conditions” that could never be diagnosed, and she would present herself with inexplicable and rapidly changing symptoms.

Falling earned money by babysitting for neighbors and relatives in her mother’s hometown despite her mental difficulties. She gained a reputation as a young woman who “deeply cared for children” and was reasonably reliable in her habits.

The offence

Falling murdered children placed in her care. According to her confession, she killed by suffocation, including placing a blanket over their faces. She stated that disembodied voices ordered her to kill the children by placing a blanket over their faces.

She confessed to killing three of the babies by “smotheration.” She explained that she did it in response to voices chanting “Kill the baby,” and said she did not think anyone would hear them scream.

The legal outcome related to three murders for which she was found guilty.

Investigation

After the deaths of the children she babysat, autopsies were ordered in multiple cases.

Cassidy Johnson died on February 28. An autopsy listed the cause of death as blunt trauma to the skull. Falling said the baby had “passed out” and “fell from her crib.” A physician wrote a note to police to have the babysitter checked out, but the note was lost and the case was closed.

After Jeffrey Davis died, an autopsy was performed. The examination revealed symptoms of myocarditis, a heart problem which was rarely fatal, and authorities later deemed the findings insufficient to be the cause of death.

After the death of Joseph Spring, physicians noted a viral infection that may have killed the baby Joseph, and quite possibly the baby Jeffrey as well.

After the death of Wilbur Swindle, he died in his kitchen after Falling started work as a housekeeper. No suspicions arose due to his old age and deteriorating health.

After the death of the 8-month-old niece, standard child vaccinations were given, and later the baby was left in a car briefly; when the mother returned, the baby had died. Falling said the girl had mysteriously “stopped breathing.” The death was determined to be of natural causes and no investigation ensued.

After the death of Travis Coleman on July 2, 1982, the autopsy revealed internal ruptures caused by suffocation. Authorities questioned Falling and she confessed to killing three children by “smotheration,” stating she had heard voices.

Arrest and custody

Falling was taken in for questioning after the death of Travis Coleman. She confessed to killing three children by suffocation, describing the act as placing a blanket over their faces in response to voices.

A psychiatric hospital was involved for assessment after she was taken into custody. While she was there, she confessed to the killing of three children but denied knowledge of the other deaths.

Trial

Falling was charged only with the three deaths after it was decided it would not be easy to prove that the other deaths were her fault.

The three deaths involved Cassidy Johnson (the first child), Travis Coleman, and the daughter of her stepsister in the account that mentions an 8-month-old niece as Jennifer Daniels. The record also refers to “Joseph Spring” in relation to the double tragedy described before the move back to Perry, Florida. The trial outcome stated that she was found guilty of three murders.

A confession included the following quotations:

“Kill the baby.”
“The way I done it, I seen it done on TV show,” she explained. “I had my own way, though. Simple and easy. No one would hear them scream.”
“I don’t know why I done what I done. The way I done it, I seen it done on TV shows. I had my own way, though. Simple and easy. No one could hear them scream”

Sentencing

Falling was sentenced to life imprisonment and would be eligible for parole after twenty-five years.

The sentencing was described as life in prison without the possibility of parole for at least twenty five years.

The record states that she was eligible for parole in 2007.

Outcome

She was found guilty of three murders. Her sentence was life in prison without the possibility of parole for at least twenty five years for the murders committed on December 3, 1982.

Other details

Falling was described as “a victim of circumstance” before July 2, 1982.

Names and deaths mentioned in the case record

• Cassidy Johnson, aged two, died on February 28 after being diagnosed with encephalitis and later found by autopsy to have blunt force trauma to the skull.
• Jeffrey Davis, aged four, died after “stopped breathing” in Falling’s care; autopsy findings included myocarditis.
• Joseph Spring, the cousin of Jeffrey Davis, died while “napping” after Jeffrey’s funeral; a viral infection was noted as a possible cause.
• Wilbur Swindle, age 77, died in his kitchen on Falling’s first day on the job as a housekeeper.
• Jennifer Daniels, the 8-month-old niece, died after being left briefly in a car; the mother returned to find the baby dead and Falling in a panic; Falling stated the baby had “stopped breathing.”
• Travis Coleman, age ten weeks, died on July 2, 1982; the autopsy revealed internal ruptures caused by suffocation.