Prosecutors, Defense Give Opening Statements in Hendrix Trial

Both the prosecution and defense think the infant daughter of Erin Hendrix was poisoned with lead.

However, they differ in thought on how she was poisoned.

Assistant Lake County Prosecutor Lisa Neroda told jurors during her opening statement Monday afternoon that Hendrix, 28, of Mentor, poisoned her child. Neroda stood in front of a photo of Hendrix's daughter in Lake County Court of Common Plea and said that Hendrix put lead nitrate in her daughter's food, drink and medication.

Hendrix's attorney, Steven Bradley, said there isn't enough evidence to prove who gave the girl lead.

Hendrix was indicted on 22 charges, including attempted aggravated murder, endangering children and contaminating a substance for human consumption or use. According to the indictment, Hendrix started poisoning her daughter when she was 5 months old.

"The defendant's actions were extreme but subtle," Neroda said. "She repeatedly poisoned her child with lead over a 17-month period."

Neroda told jurors that Hendrix was a high school science teacher when the poisoning began and she had access to lead. Furthermore, when Mentor Police searched her house, they found lead nitrate.

Bradley said Hendrix's daughter was only poisoned once, not several times. He said that the girl's fluctuating levels were the result of her body trying to absorb the lead.

He noted that three times while Hendrix could not have poisoned her daughter – twice while the girl was in a hospital, once while in foster care – the girl's lead levels still rose.

Bradley also said that there was no witness or other solid evidence to prove Hendrix gave her daughter the lead the one time she was poisoned.

in Judge Eugene Lucci's court. They winnowed the jury pool from 146 to 45 Friday and 45 to 18 today – 12 jurors and six alternates.

The trial is expected to take as long as two weeks. There are 101 witnesses scheduled to be heard.

The victim is now 3 years old and has been in the custody of Lake County Job and Family Services since July 2009.