The Death of Candace Newmaker
- Strange Case Files
- Mar 6
- 4 min read
A controversial therapy session in Colorado ended with a 10 year old girl suffocating while adults believed they were helping her “be reborn.”
A Troubled Early Childhood
Candace Elizabeth Newmaker was born November 19, 1989 in North Carolina. Her early life was unstable, and child welfare authorities eventually removed Candace and her siblings from their biological home due to neglect and abuse.
In 1997, Candace was adopted by Jeane Newmaker, a pediatric nurse practitioner in Durham, North Carolina. Jeane hoped adoption would give Candace a stable home and a fresh start.
Over time, however, Jeane reported serious behavioral problems. According to therapy notes and later court testimony, Candace displayed emotional outbursts, defiance, lying, and difficulty bonding with caregivers. Some reports also claimed Candace had harmed animals and started small fires, though the extent of those incidents was later debated.
Mental health professionals suggested Candace might be suffering from Reactive Attachment Disorder, a condition sometimes diagnosed in children who experienced early neglect or trauma and struggle to form emotional bonds.
Searching for treatment, Jeane began exploring specialized therapies designed to repair attachment between parent and child.
The Controversial Therapy
During the 1990s, a fringe treatment known as attachment therapy gained popularity among some therapists. Practitioners believed children with attachment disorders needed intense emotional experiences to recreate the bonding process between a newborn and parent.
One of the most extreme versions was called rebirthing therapy.
The idea was that a child would simulate the experience of being born again and emerge psychologically “reborn,” allowing them to bond with their adoptive parent.
The process typically involved wrapping a child tightly in blankets or pillows to simulate the womb while adults applied pressure. The child was then instructed to struggle out of the blankets, representing birth.
Most mainstream psychologists strongly criticized the practice, warning that it lacked scientific support and could be dangerous.
Despite these warnings, rebirthing sessions continued to be offered by some therapists.
The Trip to Colorado
In April 2000, Jeane Newmaker took Candace to Evergreen, Colorado, to attend a two week intensive attachment therapy program run by therapist Connell Watkins.
The program cost about $7,000 and involved several therapy sessions.
The people involved in Candace’s treatment included:
Connell Watkins, the lead therapist,
Julie Ponder, an assistant therapist
Brita St. Clair and Jack McDaniel, therapeutic foster parents assisting the program
Jeane Newmaker, Candace’s adoptive mother
Many of the people participating were not licensed therapists.
The therapy sessions were videotaped for documentation and training. That recording would later become critical evidence.
The final session took place on April 18, 2000.
The Rebirthing Session
Candace was placed on the floor and wrapped tightly in a flannel sheet with pillows surrounding her body. The blankets were pulled tight so she could barely move.
The adults then pressed down on the bundle with their hands and knees. Their combined weight exceeded 600 pounds.
Candace weighed about 70 pounds.
The goal was for Candace to push her way out of the blankets, symbolizing rebirth.
The session lasted approximately 70 minutes.
Almost immediately Candace began showing signs of distress.
She struggled to move and repeatedly said she could not breathe.
The videotape captured her saying:
“I can’t breathe.”“I’m dying.”“I’m going to die.”
At one point Candace vomited while still trapped inside the blanket.
Instead of stopping the session, the therapists interpreted her panic as resistance to the therapy.
When Candace said she was dying, assistant therapist Julie Ponder replied:
“Go ahead. Die right now.”
As the session continued Candace’s voice became weaker. Eventually she stopped responding.
When the blankets were finally removed, Candace was unconscious. Her lips and fingertips had turned blue.
Emergency services were called.
Medical Outcome
Paramedics restored Candace’s pulse, and she was airlifted to a hospital in Denver.
Doctors determined she had suffered severe oxygen deprivation.
Candace Newmaker was declared brain dead on April 19, 2000, one day after the therapy session.
She was 10 years old.
The official cause of death was asphyxia due to suffocation.
The Investigation
Authorities quickly opened a criminal investigation.
The videotape of the therapy session became key evidence. Prosecutors argued the adults ignored Candace’s repeated pleas for air and continued applying pressure long after it became dangerous.
Several people involved in the session were charged.
Connell Watkins and Julie Ponder were charged with reckless child abuse resulting in death.
Brita St. Clair and Jack McDaniel were charged with criminally negligent child abuse.
Jeane Newmaker was also charged in connection with the incident.
Trial and Sentencing
During the 2001 trial, jurors were shown portions of the videotaped therapy session. Candace could be heard begging for help while adults continued pressing down on the blankets.
Defense attorneys argued the therapists believed they were providing legitimate treatment.
Prosecutors argued Candace’s repeated statements that she could not breathe should have immediately ended the session.
In June 2001, the jury found Connell Watkins and Julie Ponder guilty of reckless child abuse resulting in death.
Both were sentenced to 16 years in prison, the minimum allowed under the charge.
Brita St. Clair and Jack McDaniel pleaded guilty to criminally negligent child abuse and received 10 years probation and community service.
Jeane Newmaker pleaded guilty to abuse and neglect and received a four year suspended sentence.
Connell Watkins was released on parole in 2008, after serving about seven years.
Case Facts
Location: Evergreen, Colorado
Year: 2000
Victim: Candace Elizabeth Newmaker
Age: 10
Responsible Parties: Connell Watkins and Julie Ponder
Cause of Death: Asphyxiation during rebirthing therapy
Legal Outcome: Therapists convicted of reckless child abuse resulting in death
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