A member of a religious sect charged with killing his baby took the witness stand in his own defense Wednesday.
NewsCenter 5's Rhondella Richardson said that Jacques Robidoux arrived at Taunton Superior Court in Taunton for his testimony Wednesday morning. At times he choked back tears as he talked about his son, Samuel, who prosecutors say was starved to death.
Robidoux said that he was dedicated to God. He told jurors that he believed in miracles and believed that prayer would change all that was going wrong.
"His cry was a normal baby's cry. He ground his teeth. Toward the end he would often bite down on Karen's nipple. At times, his eyes would roll up in back of his head. His skin on his chest changed to a dark color," Robidoux said.
Robidoux's son was described as a bouncing boy when he was 6 months old. He died days before his first birthday.
Under direct examination for nearly two hours, Robidoux exhibited feelings of loss, even regret. He and his wife deprived their son of solid food after receiving a message from God that the child should only be fed breast milk, according to testimony. The child's health failed during the weeks without food.
"Everything was based on his not getting enough nourishment," Robidoux said. "In that mind set, I couldn't have made any other decision than what I did, because that is what I had ingrained into my head."
Robidoux allegedly put Samuel in a homemade casket that he left in the family basement. Robidoux said that they were awaiting word from God about what to do with the casket.
Months later, the casket was found buried in the woods of Maine.