Shortly after Candace Newmaker was born in 1989. she was placed into the foster care system due to neglect and abuse from her biological parents. At the age of five, she was adopted by Jeane Newmaker, a single woman and pediatric nurse. Jeane sought therapy for Candace, believing the child was suffering from severe behavioral issues, which were later diagnosed as attachment disorder.
In 2000, Jeane took Candace to Evergreen, Colorado, to undergo a controversial treatment known as “rebirthing therapy,” intended to help children bond with adoptive parents. The practice was based on the idea that re-enacting the birthing process could resolve attachment issues. Candace’s session, conducted by therapists Connell Watkins and Julie Ponder, involved wrapping the 10-year-old girl in a blanket to simulate a womb, with pillows pressed against her, while the therapists applied pressure. Candace was instructed to push her way out, symbolically "rebirthing" herself, but the therapy went horribly wrong.
For over 70 minutes, Candace screamed for help, complained of being unable to breathe, and begged for release. Her pleas were dismissed by the therapists, who believed it was part of the process. Eventually, Candace suffocated to death from the intense pressure and lack of oxygen. Despite showing signs of distress, she was not unwrapped until it was too late. Candace was later declared brain-dead and died the next day.
The death of Candace Newmaker led to public outrage and a criminal investigation. Connell Watkins and Julie Ponder were convicted of reckless child abuse resulting in death and sentenced to prison. Jeane Newmaker pleaded guilty to neglect and abuse charges and was given a four-year suspended sentence, after which the charges were expunged from her record.
The case also resulted in legislative changes, with Colorado and other states enacting laws banning “rebirthing” therapy and regulating therapeutic practices more strictly.
