Marie Noe
Encyclopedia
Marie Noe is an American woman who was convicted in June 1999 of murder
ing eight of her children. Between 1949 and 1968, eight of the ten Noe children died of mysterious causes which were then attributed to sudden infant death syndrome
. All eight children were healthy at birth and were developing normally. Two other children died of natural causes. Noe pled guilty in June 1999 to eight counts of second-degree murder, and was sentenced to twenty years' probation and psychiatric study.
at age five, which she later credited as the cause of learning difficulties. She dropped out of school as a young teenager to work and help care for a niece, born to one of her older sisters when Marie was 12 and raised as Marie's sister.
neighborhood of Philadelphia. After a brief courtship, the couple eloped. The couple proceeded to have ten children, all of whom died between the ages of two weeks and 14 months.
During the Caesarean birth
of her last child, Noe suffered a uterine rupture
and underwent a hysterectomy
.
, and an investigative article that appeared in the April 1998 issue of Philadelphia magazine
.
The author of the Philadelphia article turned over his investigation results to the Philadelphia Police Department in March 1998. Upon questioning by police after receiving the material, Mrs. Noe admitted to suffocating four of her children. She stated that she could not remember what happened to the other four children who died under similar circumstances. She was charged with first-degree murder in August 1998.
A plea agreement was reached in which Mrs. Noe admitted to eight counts of second-degree murder and she was sentenced in June 1999 to 20 years of probation with the first five years under house arrest.
As a condition of her plea agreement, Noe agreed to psychiatric study in hopes of identifying what caused her to kill her children. In September 2001, a study was filed with the court that stated Noe was suffering from mixed-personality disorder
.
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ing eight of her children. Between 1949 and 1968, eight of the ten Noe children died of mysterious causes which were then attributed to sudden infant death syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome is marked by the sudden death of an infant that is unexpected by medical history, and remains unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy and a detailed death scene investigation. An infant is at the highest risk for SIDS during sleep, which is why it is sometimes...
. All eight children were healthy at birth and were developing normally. Two other children died of natural causes. Noe pled guilty in June 1999 to eight counts of second-degree murder, and was sentenced to twenty years' probation and psychiatric study.
Early life
Marie Noe was one of several children born of her parents' troubled marriage. Marie contracted scarlet feverScarlet fever
Scarlet fever is a disease caused by exotoxin released by Streptococcus pyogenes. Once a major cause of death, it is now effectively treated with antibiotics...
at age five, which she later credited as the cause of learning difficulties. She dropped out of school as a young teenager to work and help care for a niece, born to one of her older sisters when Marie was 12 and raised as Marie's sister.
Marriage and children
Marie and Arthur Noe met at a private club in the West KensingtonWest Kensington, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
West Kensington is a neighborhood in the North Philadelphia section of Philadelphia. It is north of Olde Kensington. The Market Frankford El above Front Street forms the line between West Kensington and its bordering neighborhoods to the east , although its other boundaries are less well-defined...
neighborhood of Philadelphia. After a brief courtship, the couple eloped. The couple proceeded to have ten children, all of whom died between the ages of two weeks and 14 months.
- Richard Allan Noe (March 7, 1949–April 7, 1949)
- Elizabeth Mary Noe (September 8, 1950–February 17, 1951)
- Jacqueline Noe (April 23, 1952–May 3, 1952)
- Arthur Joseph Jr. Noe (April 23, 1955–April 28, 1955)
- Constance Noe (February 24, 1958–March 20, 1958)
- Letitia Noe (stillborn, August 24, 1959; cause of death was umbilical cord knot)
- Mary Lee Noe (June 19, 1962–January 4, 1963)
- Theresa Noe (died in hospital, June 1963; cause of death was "congenital hemorrhagic diathesis")
- Catherine E. Noe (December 3, 1964–February 24, 1966)
- Arthur Joseph Jr. Noe (July 28, 1967–January 2, 1968)
During the Caesarean birth
Caesarean section
A Caesarean section, is a surgical procedure in which one or more incisions are made through a mother's abdomen and uterus to deliver one or more babies, or, rarely, to remove a dead fetus...
of her last child, Noe suffered a uterine rupture
Uterine rupture
Uterine rupture is a potentially catastrophic event during childbirth by which the integrity of the myometrial wall is breached. In an incomplete rupture the peritoneum is still intact. With a complete rupture the contents of the uterus may spill into the peritoneal cavity or the broad ligament...
and underwent a hysterectomy
Hysterectomy
A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus, usually performed by a gynecologist. Hysterectomy may be total or partial...
.
Reinvestigation and charges
Interest in the case was renewed after the publication of the 1997 book The Death of Innocents, about New York woman Waneta HoytWaneta Hoyt
Waneta Ethel Hoyt was an American serial killer. She was born in Richford, New York and died at the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women....
, and an investigative article that appeared in the April 1998 issue of Philadelphia magazine
Philadelphia (magazine)
Philadelphia is a regional monthly magazine published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania by Metrocorp....
.
The author of the Philadelphia article turned over his investigation results to the Philadelphia Police Department in March 1998. Upon questioning by police after receiving the material, Mrs. Noe admitted to suffocating four of her children. She stated that she could not remember what happened to the other four children who died under similar circumstances. She was charged with first-degree murder in August 1998.
A plea agreement was reached in which Mrs. Noe admitted to eight counts of second-degree murder and she was sentenced in June 1999 to 20 years of probation with the first five years under house arrest.
As a condition of her plea agreement, Noe agreed to psychiatric study in hopes of identifying what caused her to kill her children. In September 2001, a study was filed with the court that stated Noe was suffering from mixed-personality disorder
Personality disorder
Personality disorders, formerly referred to as character disorders, are a class of personality types and behaviors. Personality disorders are noted on Axis II of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-IV-TR of the American Psychiatric Association.Personality disorders are...
.