Manhattan lawyer Cynthia Wachenheim strapped her 10-month-old son to her chest, and leaped to her death from the window of her Sutton co-op apartment in Harlem on Wednesday afternoon. Her baby boy Keston survived, with "little more than scratches," police sources said and reported by New York Daily News.
Wachenheim, 44, left a suicide note, castigating herself for being a bad mother. Police have said personal medical issues likely contributed to this incident. While Wachenheim landed on her back, and died instantaneously, her son Keston managed to bounce off her, and his life was saved. Keston was in stable condition and brought to a Harlem hospital on Wednesday night.
Wachenheim, who reportedly suffered from postpartum depression, "falsely thought that she caused her son brain damage, cerebral palsy and other ailments," according to sources, law enforcement and reported by DNA Info. Her suicide note read that she "caused a life of misery for the child." The 13-page note was handwritten on small pages of notebook paper. The last page made reference to her postpartum depression, according to DNA Info.
Wachenheim was married to Hal Bacharach, 48, who was at work when the tragedy occurred. He was spotted on surveillance video, leaving the apartment at 12:55 p.m, the New York Daily News reported. Neighbors overheard that they had been arguing earlier in the day. A police source said Wachenheim was taking antidepressants and pills were found in the apartment. The couple had lived at The Sutton for about three years.
Wachenheim, a Columbia University Law graduate, was on maternity leave from her job in the city court system. She worked there for more than 15 years doing research and writing for judges, sources said.
"We are deeply saddened by this tragic incident," said David Bookstaver, spokesman for the city's Office of Court Administration. "Our thoughts are with her family."
