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One therapist in 'rebirthing' death out of prison

By Tillie Fong, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 1, 2008 at 7:17 p.m.
Updated August 1, 2008 at 10:53 p.m.

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Evergreen psychotherapists Connell Watkins, left, and Julie Ponder walk into court Friday, April 20, 2001, in Golden, Colo. Watkins and Ponder, the two therapists who were co-defendants in a reckless child abuse case resulting in the death of a 10-year-old child, were found guilty on all counts in the death of the girl, Candace Newmaker, who died during a rebirthing session one year ago. Verdict handed down in the "rebirthing" trial

Photo by MARC PISCOTTY

Evergreen psychotherapists Connell Watkins, left, and Julie Ponder walk into court Friday, April 20, 2001, in Golden, Colo. Watkins and Ponder, the two therapists who were co-defendants in a reckless child abuse case resulting in the death of a 10-year-old child, were found guilty on all counts in the death of the girl, Candace Newmaker, who died during a rebirthing session one year ago. Verdict handed down in the "rebirthing" trial

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Connell Watkins, one of two former therapists convicted in the "rebirthing" death of a 10-year-old North Carolina girl in 1999 - is no longer in prison.

Instead, since June 6, she has been serving the remainder of her 16-year sentence in community corrections and has been living and working in the metro area.

"She has transitioned to a community setting but she is still under the jurisdiction of the Department of Corrections," said Allison Morgan, spokeswoman for the Department of Corrections. "She is still in inmate status."

Watkins, 62, and Julie Ponder, 47, were convicted of child abuse resulting in death in 2001 in a case involving Candace Newmaker, 10, of Raleigh, N.C. Newmaker died on April 19, 1999, after a "rebirthing" session in Watkins' Evergreen home in which she was wrapped in a sheet and placed under several large pillows while four adults pushed against her to simulate birth.

When Candace told them she couldn't breathe and that she was going to die, the therapists said, "go ahead and die," which they explained later as needing to break Candace's habit of controlling adults.

Watkins is in a supervised program in which she has to wear an ankle bracelet and has to have at least weekly contact with a corrections officer.

Ponder had also applied to the community corrections program, but has been denied, according to Morgan.

fongt@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5489