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Big Isle mother
left baby in morgue

Distrustful of hospitals,
'Sara' Mulder wanted an
independent autopsy on
the body, documents say

---

By Rod Thompson
Big Island correspondent

HILO -- Three months after her baby daughter died of malnutrition, a Big Island woman accused of murdering the infant by neglect still had not picked up the body from the Hilo Hospital morgue, court documents say.

When a mortuary offered a free burial for 2 1/2-month-old Manjara Mulder, her mother, Saraswati Mulder, turned it down, the documents say.

An autopsy on the thin body of Manjara showed that the baby died of malnutrition Oct. 27, 1999.

"Sara" Mulder, 22, told the hospital she wanted an independent autopsy, which would cost $2,000. She said she was saving for it at the rate of $2 per month.

This week a grand jury indicted Mulder, saying she committed murder by omission by failing to nourish the child and failing to get prompt medical help.

Deputy Prosecutor Lincoln Ashida said authorities believe Mulder, a Hare Krishna devotee, has left the country.

When red-haired Manjara was born Aug. 9, 1999, doctors noted that the child's birth was easy, her weight was a normal 7 pounds, 10.5 ounces, and tests showed she was healthy.

But Mulder was convinced there were a number of health problems with her and the child. Two of her three previous children had died, court documents say.

Believing a doctor had injured Manjara's neck at birth, Mulder didn't trust Hilo Hospital.

When her baby had repeated episodes of diarrhea and vomiting, Mulder took her to chiropractors.

A chiropractic adjustment of Manjara's neck seemed to bring immediate relief from the vomiting and diarrhea, the court documents say. But the sickness continued.

By the beginning of October last year, it was clear to a husband and wife who knew Mulder that the baby was very sick, they told police.

The husband realized Mulder had been lying when she said she took the baby to a medical doctor.

The wife told her, "You gotta take your baby to a doctor." Mulder clearly needed some kind of counseling, the wife told police.

The wife and two other women planned to pick up Mulder and take her and the baby to Hilo Hospital.

But when they called Mulder the next day, she had moved.

Mulder was now living with another friend, who later told police she tried to help the quiet Mulder "make choices."

The friend told police they fed the baby food like "almond milk" -- water strained through crushed almonds.

When Mulder and the friend brought the baby to naturopathic doctor Jacqueline Hahn, Hahn said she had to get the talkative friend out of the room before Mulder could speak for herself.

The baby was "obviously emaciated," Hahn said.

Hahn told Mulder if the baby's diarrhea continued, she would not survive and insisted Mulder take the child to a pediatrician.

The following evening, the baby died. The baby weighed 6 pounds -- 1 pound, 10.5 ounces less than when she was born.

When a paramedic at Mulder's home asked Mulder if she wanted to take one last look at the baby before he took her away, Mulder answered: "No. I just want to know the results of the autopsy."