Mother of victim in child-abuse death testifies against ex

Erica D. Johnson

Tuesday, April 29, 2003 | 9:34 a.m.

The actions of a Henderson mother could come under scrutiny as her former boyfriend stands trial a second time for her infant daughter's death five years ago.

On the first day of Brandon Parish's trial, prosecutors described for jurors the "non-accidental" injuries they say led to 20-month-old Samantha Storm's April 1997 death.

The child suffered bruises, a broken foot and head injuries on at least three separate occasions while spending time alone with Parish, Chief Deputy District Attorney Doug Herndon said in his opening statement.

Herndon alleged the fatal blows, which fractured Samantha's skull, were dealt when she was alone with Parish at his Nellis Air Force Base dormitory.

"This is the equivalent of falling off a several story building on your head onto concrete," Herndon said. "This was an extremely forceful injury."

But defense attorney David Schieck said the abuse could have come at the hands of the child's mother, Dawn Mathiasen, 26, who initially gave police and day-care workers several different explanations for the injuries.

Schieck said Mathiasen's "bizarre" behavior was a result of her infatuation with Parish, who was 18 at the time.

"She was certainly the one pushing the relationship, if you will," he said. "And Samantha was in her way."

Mathiasen, who testified Monday, admitted she initially lied to police when she told them Parish hadn't been alone with the child.

She said she didn't want to hurt his chances of becoming a police officer in the Air Force because "any suspicions of child abuse could taint his record."

"I lied the entire time," she said. "He told me to help him not look bad."

Parish's trial before District Judge Valorie Vega marks prosecutors' second go-round in their effort to prove Parish is Samantha's killer.

A jury convicted Parish of first-degree murder in the case in 1998 and sentenced him to life in prison with parole possible after 20 years.

The Nevada Supreme Court overturned the conviction in 2001, citing faulty jury instructions. At that time, malice was not presumed in Nevada child abuse cases, as was stated in the instructions.

Mathiasen was convicted on child abuse and neglect charges for ignoring police orders to keep the child away from Parish after prior allegations of abuse.

She is currently serving a six- to 15-year prison sentence.

Samantha's death came weeks before Parish was to be dismissed from the Air Force. Parish was disappointed when he was assigned to clerical duty and began drinking as a result, Schieck said.

The fatal injuries occurred April 17, 1997, when Mathiasen left a sleeping Samantha alone with Parish at his dormitory while she went to get food, Mathiasen testified.

Parish had been drinking, she said.

When Mathiasen returned, Samantha awoke from her sleep and began vomiting, she said. She said she didn't take the child to the hospital because Samantha's allergies often caused her to vomit. Instead, the couple went back to Mathiasen's parents' home in Henderson, she said.

Less than an hour later, Samantha began to have seizures. That's when she knew something was wrong, Mathiasen said.

"She was shaking very violently and her mouth was so tight," she said. "Foam was coming out of her mouth. I kept asking her to wake up for Mommy, but she wouldn't."

When Mathiasen suggested she take the child to the hospital, Parish told her not to, she testified.

"He said 'no.' He was afraid he'd get in trouble," she said. "He said we could fix her."

Parish hid in the back yard while Mathiasen took the child next door to her aunt's house and called 911, she said.

Doctors at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center pronounced the child brain dead hours later. Mathiasen's testimony was expected to continue this afternoon.