Allport woman waives prelim in death of Clearfield County girl

Jennifer Ann Medzie, 21, of Allport, waived her preliminary hearing on charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person Wednesday.

Clearfield County District Attorney Bill Shaw filed the charges last week.

According to court documents, Medzie was caring for Sophia Hoffman-Lauder on Nov. 15, 2013, in Bradford Township when she reported to the child’s step-grandmother that the girl had gone limp in her arms. Later the child was taken by ambulance to Penn Highlands Clearfield and then was flown by medical helicopter to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh where she was declared brain dead.

Police said she waited over an hour to call after the initial symptoms and provided no first aid to the child.

In a follow-up interview with police on Nov. 18, 2013, Medzie allegedly admitted to shaking the child twice in October 2013. She denied shaking the victim on the morning of Nov. 15, 2013. She claimed she apologized to the girl and said she wouldn’t shake her “a million times and have her neck snap or something,” according to the criminal complaint.

The autopsy report showed Sophia died of global hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy resulting from blunt force trauma of the head. The report described injuries observed on the victim’s head and trunk as “exhibiting blunt force trauma.”

Another doctor who reviewed the medical reports and autopsy told investigators that the severity and extent of the injuries “indicate she was symptomatic in terms of intense head pain within multiple minutes after sustaining the injuries.” This would be inconsistent with Medzie’s statement that the child went limp as she was dressing her, according to a press release from Shaw.

Medzie remains in the Clearfield County Jail without bail.

This story was originally published August 31, 2016 at 3:51 PM with the headline "Allport woman waives prelim in death of Clearfield County girl."