July 16, 2004
Steve Crupi Reporting
The local mom, Cheryl Botzet, charged with murdering her diabetic daughter is publicly telling "her" side of the story. News 3's jailhouse interview lasted only a few minutes. Botzet got upset with some of our questions tonight and stormed out of the interview.
Cheryl Botzet didn't talk to us for long. She refused to respond in any detail to the charge that she murdered her 11-year-old daughter Ariel by failing to monitor her diabetes and provide life-saving insulin shots.
Prosecutors say Ariel's death was the direct result of abuse or neglect.Earlier this week we talked with Cheryl Botzet's estranged husband.Cheryl Botzet says despite the way she's been portrayed by police and prosecutors, she loved her daughter, and never intended any harm despite walking out on us. She did agree to do another interview. She says with her attorney present, she would be willing to answer more questions.
The attorney for Botzet has argued there's not enough evidence to sustain a charge of manslaughter. He describes the DA's decision to pursue a murder charge as "absurd."
