Mom Charged in Son's Oil-and-Vinegar Death

An Indiana mother who thought her son was possessed by a demon forced him to ingest oil and vinegar three times, then held his mouth shut for 10 minutes. Latisha Lawson says that by then 3-year-old Jezaih King had stopped struggling, WANE reports. Lawson also allegedly forced daughter Kierra King, 10, to drink the mixture, but the little girl vomited.

A religion professor says that while oil is often used as a blessing in the Bible, he’s not aware of any practice that uses it to exorcise a demon. After Jezaih’s death in November 2009, Lawson, 31, had her daughter pray over his body, then allegedly wrapped it in a blanket and put it in a closet for nearly a year. Lawson’s mother tried to track down her daughter and grandchildren for months; police made the gruesome discovery earlier this month.
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