>>RELATED: Tape of Bellefontaine mom’s alleged confession shown in court
The video interview was shown in a Logan County court Tuesday and Wednesday as part of a motion to suppress hearing. Pilkington’s lawyers have asked to throw the confession out.
The tape appears to shows the young mother crying and she can be heard telling police she smothered all three sons, covered their faces with blankets and “put pressure” on them for anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute.
Pilkington can also be heard telling detectives she used blankets over their faces so she didn’t have to see her sons while they died.
Pilkington’s lawyers claim her rights were violated in the interview and she didn’t understand the context of her discussion with police on Aug. 18, 2015, just hours after her youngest son died.
The three Pilkington boys died within 13 months of each other. Infant Niall died in July 2014, 4-year-old Gavin in April of last year, and then 3-month-old Noah four months later in August 2015.
Pilkington’s trial is scheduled to start Feb. 27, 2017.
Her lawyers cross examined one of the detectives Wednesday and asked him if he knew of Pilkington’s intelligence level.
Pilkington’s tested IQ is 94, according to court records. The mother also had been treated for lead poisoning as a child and Logan County children services’ records state that at age 18 she functioned as an 11 or 12 year old.
>>LEARN MORE: Abuse, isolation alleged in Bellefontaine case
In the taped police interview, Pilkington also can be heard telling them she suffered from depression after her pregnancies and had suicidal thoughts.
“I wish I would have did it to myself instead,” she can be heard telling police.
During the recording, she could be heard telling detectives she had been abused as a child and was afraid her sons would grow up to be abusers. She also told investigators she was jealous of the attention her husband gave the boys.
Her lawyers said Pilkington recanted her statements to police the day after she was arrested.
The motion to exclude the taped interview is one of several the judge will decide on before the trial begins. Other motions from Pilkington’s lawyers include a request to remove the death penalty, to sever the charges and hold three separate trials, and to move the trial out of Logan County, according to court records.
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