Feb
27
2008
First Murder, Now Fraud
Author: Byron UdellAimee Lee Weiss admitted she suffocated her new-born son after secretly giving birth at home in 2001. She was seventeen years old. A neighborhood youth found the weighted backpack with the baby’s corpse while fishing in a nearby canal a week later. Investigators made the arrest and obtained a full confession following standard procedures.
Unfortunately, Broward County’s Miranda rights procedures weren’t up to par with federal regulation. Florida police neglected to inform her that she had the right to an attorney before, during, and after questioning. The entire confession was thrown out. Weiss pleaded no contest in 2006 and walked away with just three years probation.
Less than a year later, Weiss has been arrested again for assisting in filing fraudulent insurance claims while working at a chiropractor’s office. Her lawyer counters she was simply a receptionist and was only following doctor’s orders. One reporter describes her response, “After getting bond set, Weiss winked at her father and sister who were sitting in court.”
She now faces 15 years behind bars if found guilty of violating probation on the original manslaughter allegation.
Let’s hope officials involved have dotted every “I” and crossed every “T” in preparation for round two.
February 29th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Insurance fraud obviously pales in comparison to this person’s other (known) crime, but the police in Broward County need to get back to the basics in their training. How they could not advise her of her Miranda Rights absolutely baffles me, and it leads directly to this criminal walking after killing a child.