Coroner: Hebert children stabbed more than 30 times

A Jefferson Parish assistant coroner told jurors Tuesday that Amy Hebert stabbed her children more than 30 times each, including four times in the heart.

Hebert is being tried in District Judge Jerome Barbera’s courtroom for two counts of first-degree murder in the Aug. 20, 2007, deaths of her children, Camille, 9 and Braxton, 7. She has pleaded not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity.

After Monday’s opening statements, Lafourche Parish District Attorney Cam Morvant II called four witnesses to the stand: Hebert’s former father-in-law, who was the first person to enter the home, and the Lafourche sheriff’s deputies who responded to a 911 call placed by Hebert’s ex-husband.

Testimony Tuesday continued with Dr. Susan Garcia, the Lafourche Parish assistant coroner who conducted autopsies on the bodies of Camille and Braxton, taking the stand.

Garcia told jurors that Camille was stabbed 30 to 35 times in the skull and 30 to 35 times on the front and back of her body. She said none of the head wounds punctured the skull.

“All of her vital organs had been nicked with the knife at least once,” Garcia said.

Braxton had 30 to 35 stab wounds on the front of his body and 50 to 55 on his back, she testified.

Both children were stabbed four times in the heart.

Because of the children’s size, Garcia said the knife could have penetrated out of the back of their bodies, creating puncture wounds on both sides.

Both children had four defensive wounds on their right hand and arm and five on their left, according to Garcia.

As Garcia detailed the fatal wounds, Hebert, who had sat stoically through most of the morning’s testimony, began sobbing uncontrollably. Barbera called a brief recess to allow her to regain control of her emotions.

Garcia’s testimony was followed by three forensic scientists with the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab in Baton Rouge.

Fingerprint and palm print expert Kasey Ferrera verified fingerprints were found on a notebook and three knives. She turned the items over to print examination and analysis expert Rebecca Alexander, who said she retrieved Hebert’s right and left thumb, right middle finger and right palm prints.

DNA analysis expert Stacy Williams testified that the 54 pieces of evidence she examined all had blood belonging to Hebert or the children.

Amy Hebert heads into the Lafourche Parish Courthouse in a file photo