Baby Survives Eight Story Fall: 13 page suicide note left by cynthia wachenhem

10 Month Old Baby Survives 8 Story Fall

On Wednesday, March, 13 2013, 44 year old lawyer, Cindy Bacharach (Wachenheim) jumped to her death from her 8th story NY apartment, her ten month old son, Keston, strapped to her chest.

Bacharach was killed instantly. Miraculously, however, the little boy survived. He was immediately brought to the hospital, and listed as being in critical, but stable condition.

One witness reported that he’d heard a scream as the new mother plummeted to her death. He said that he noticed the woman falling, and watched as she landed on her back. The baby then bounced off of his mothers chest, and hit the concrete. The witnesses mother tried to help the crying child, but was told not to touch him by police.

Upon searching Bacharach’s apartment, police discovered a 13 page largely incomprehensible suicide note, blaming herself for her son’s medical problems. However, it is unclear whether the child had any mental or physical problems. The note stated that Bacharach knew what she was going to do was evil, but that she’d grown concerned with how her son was developing.

“The note said she was not happy and she talked about what she planned to do,” a source close to the case stated. In the note, Wachenheim allegedly confessed to her husband, “I love you. I’m making you suffer. You’re going to think I’m evil.”

“She thinks she’s a failing mother. On the last page, she refers to postpartum depression. She was supposed to see a therapist, but she blew him off… As the note goes on, you get the idea she’s explaining why she’s going to do it,” the source revealed.

A neighbor, who’d lived in the building for several years stated that Bacharach was a nice,warm person. She described the small family as being happy-looking, and that she never would have thought something like this could have happened.

“He was yelling at her today,” said neighbor Christian Johnson, 37. “It made me stop and listen. He was asking her why she wouldn’t pick up the phone. He kept repeating it. Then, the baby started crying.” But several neighbors thought it was simply a typical spousal spat.

“She was very friendly,” said neighbor Yaa Dwamena, 32. “She always greeted you when you came in and out of the building. She didn’t seem like she was going through anything.”

“We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident,” said David Bookstaver, spokesman for the city’s Office of Court Administration. “Our thoughts are with her family.”

Wachenheim was a law school student at Columbia University. She worked in state Supreme Court in Manhattan doing legal research for judges, court officials said.

On The Web:

Usatoday.com
Insidebayarea.com
Newyorktimes.com