Marybeth Tinning was born in 1942 in New York and had an average childhood. She married in 1965 and had two children with her husband, but then her father died and their third child died of meningitis. Over the next 14 years, all nine of her children died, including an adopted son. She was eventually convicted of killing her final child and sentenced to 20 years in jail. Tinning exhibited behaviors consistent with Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy, a psychological disorder where one seeks attention by harming another person under their care.

1. Marybeth Tinning
Freak of the Week

2. Born in 1942 in Duanesburg,
NY
An average student through
high school
Wanted to attend college

3. Met husband on a blind date
He was shy, kind and hard-working
assembly line worker, like her father
Married in 1965

4. Joe and Marybeth worked hard, tried to
make a decent living and build a better
life.
In the first two years of marriage, the
Tinnings had two children, Barbara and
Joseph Jr
But then tragedy struck

5. Marybeth’s father died of a
sudden heart attack
And their third child,
Jennifer, died of
meningitis

6. Marybeth had been described as
“weird” by people that knew her as a
young adult
She grew more distant after the deaths

7. 17 days later, brought Joey to
hospital with “seizures”
Examined and released
Later that day, she said when
she checked on him after his
nap, she found him wrapped
in his blankets, blue, and dead

8. Six weeks later, back at the same
hospital with Barbara, 4 yrs old
All three children had died within 90
days

9. The following year, Marybeth was
pregnant again
Three weeks after his birth, Timothy
was brought to the hospital, dead
Listed as SIDS

10. Over the course of 14 years,
all nine of the Tinnings’
children died - including an
adopted son.

11. “I didn’t do it! I did not do anything to
Jennifer, Joseph, Barbara, Michael, Mary
Frances or Jonathan. Just these three:
Timothy, Nathan, and Tami. I smothered
them each with a pillow because I’m
not a good mother. I’m not a good
mother because of the other children.”

12. Due to the lack of hard evidence,
Marybeth was only convicted of killing
the final child, and was sentenced to 20
years in jail.

13. Munchausen
Syndrome by Proxy