Parents accused in tot's death:
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staff
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Parents accused in tot's death
A 23-year-old Kaneohe Marine, has been charged with murder in the death a week ago of his 18-month-old daughter, and his wife was arrested yesterday for suspected involvement.
The girl died of suffocation at 9:49 p.m. March 11 in Castle Hospital's emergency room, according to the medical examiner.
Cpl. James N. Bingham was charged with murder and was arrested Tuesday evening.
His wife, Cpl. Tricia M. Bingham, was arrested yesterday afternoon, pending investigation by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
The two are now detained at the Ford Island correctional facility.
James Bingham is a small-arms technician from Solon Springs, Wis. He and Tricia, 22, a nuclear biological and chemical defense technician from Las Vegas, have been stationed in Hawaii since November 1995.
Hearing tomorrow morning for Marine accused of murdering daughter:
Police, Fire, Courts
By Star-Bulletin staff
Honolulu Police Department Crimestoppers
Hearing tomorrow morning
for Marine accused of
murdering daughter
A hearing on a murder charge against Marine Cpl. James Bingham, accused in his daughter's March 11 death, takes place at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
An investigating officer will hear testimony, receive other evidence and then offer his opinions and recommendations to Bingham's commanding officer.
The commanding officer will review the report and determine whether trial by general court-martial is warranted, Marine base officials said.
Bingham's wife, Cpl. Tricia M. Bingham, 22, was charged in March with making false statements regarding the death of the 18-month-old girl. She also was charged with conspiracy and obstructing justice.
The girl died of suffocation. She was pronounced dead in the Castle Hospital emergency room.
Cpl. James Bingham had been charged earlier with murder in the girl's death.
Marine says he held daughter’s face down:
May 20, 2000
 Saturday, May 20, 2000
Marine says he held
daughter’s face down
He's charged with murder in his
infant's death; he says he was just trying
to get her to stop crying
By Treena Shapiro
Star-Bulletin
Cpl. James N. Bingham and his wife Tricia, also a Marine corporal, initially said they found 18-month-old daughter Molly wedged between her bed and the wall on March 14.
But Bingham submitted a sworn statement on May 14 that he pressed Molly's face into a mattress and then covered her body with a plastic toy container.
A hearing began yesterday for the 23-year-old Marine charged with the suffocation death of his daughter.
Molly was pronounced dead at Castle Memorial Hospital on March 11, and deputy medical examiner Bani Win concluded her death was caused by asphyxiation due to suffocation.
Bingham did not testify at the hearing, but in his written statement he said he held his daughter's face to the mattress "just to make Molly stop crying." He said he used his body weight to keep her head down. According to the statement, Molly was still alive following this incident and Bingham began playing with her by covering her body with a plastic toy container that she was able to push off after about five seconds. He did this a few times and said Molly was smiling and appeared playful. The final time, however, Bingham said Molly was lying on her side in a fetal position. After covering her with the container, he put his foot on top so Molly could not push it off.
Testifying by phone yesterday, Win said there were contusions on the child's head and neck, multiple hemorrhages and teeth marks on the inside of the child's lips. "It appears that the child was held there and held down with pressure when the suffocation occurred."
Earle A. Partington, Bingham's civilian attorney, argued that the autopsy report was inconsistent with Bingham's statement because Molly would have died after having her face held to the mattress and not by having the toy container covering her. Bingham is charged with murder, conspiracy and making a false official statement. His wife is also charged with conspiracy and making a false official statement. The investigating officer who presided over her hearing last month recommended that she be taken to general court-martial.
Both Binghams have been held at Ford Island since the end of March.
The investigating officer's recommendations are nonbinding and the decision to court-martial will be made by the commanding general of the Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
Marine sentenced to confinement:
Local News HonoluluAdvertiser.com
Saturday, October 14, 2000
Marine sentenced to confinement
Local News HonoluluAdvertiser.com
Saturday, October 14, 2000
A Kane‘ohe marine who admitted he suffocated his 18-month-old daughter was sentenced Thursday during a court-martial proceeding at the Marine Corps Base Hawai‘i-Kane‘ohe Bay to 35 years confinement.
Cpl. James N. Bingham also was given a dishonorable discharge, had his pay reduced to the lowest level and was ordered to forfeit all pay and allowances.
Bingham, 24, of Solon Springs, Wis., had confessed in an earlier hearing to pushing his daughter’s face into a mattress to stop her from crying. He also admitted to placing a toy container over the child’s head and holding it down with his foot.
A general court-martial for Tricia Bingham, 22, will convene Monday at 9 a.m. at the base.
Marine corporal admits perjury in murder case:
By Star-Bulletin Staff
Tuesday, October 17, 2000
Marine corporal admits perjury in murder case
A Kaneohe Marine corporal has pleaded guilty to making a false official statement in the murder investigation into the suffocation death of her 18-month-old daughter.
Tricia M. Bingham appeared before a general court-martial yesterday at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.
As part of her plea agreement, charges of conspiracy and obstructing justice were withdrawn.
Bingham, 22, was sentenced to five months confinement and was reduced in pay grade to private.
Her husband, Cpl. James N. Bingham, pleaded guilty Thursday to the murder of their daughter, Molly, March 11 at their home.
He was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment and a dishonorable discharge. |