Bail reduced for mother in baby’s death

Bill Gang

Tuesday, July 15, 1997 | 9:08 a.m.

The woman charged with second-degree murder for allegedly putting her baby in a deadly situation has had her bail reduced to $50,000 from $150,000 pending her trial.

District Judge Joseph Bonaventure lowered the bail after 20-year-old Dawn Mathiasen sobbed that "there is not a person who feels more badly than me."

"I know in my heart that I didn't mean to do this, put her in the hands of danger," she said. "I have to live with this the rest of my life."

Mathiasen is alleged to have ignored police orders after an earlier child abuse incident and allowed the alleged abuser to again baby-sit the infant, Samantha Storm, who died of massive head injuries.

Brandon Parish, 20, an airman stationed at Nellis AFB, will stand trial with Mathiasen on Jan. 26, although he is facing first-degree murder charges that could put him in prison for life if he is convicted.

While Bonaventure agreed to reduce the bail to the amount requested by defense attorney Ulrich Smith, he said he has concerns about Mathiasen disregarding the earlier instructions by police.

The judge ordered that the woman be monitored while free on bail by the court's Intensive Supervision Program.

He also noted that there have been reports of Mathiasen's family contacting potential witnesses and urging them to distort their testimony.

Bonaventure cautioned Mathiasen and her family that such witnesses tampering will not be tolerated and told the woman that she would be back in jail if there were other incidents.

"I'm making you responsible for your family," the judge said.

Testimony at the defendants' preliminary hearing indicated that the April 17 death of the girl at Nellis was the result of her being slammed against a solid object, rather than being struck with something.

Samantha suffered skull fractures and other injuries.

Parish had been baby sitting Samantha while Mathiasen went to get some food, witnesses testified.