Defense Witness: China Arnold 'Loud And Upset' At Hospital

The defense is now under way in the murder trial of China Arnold. Arnold is accused of killing her baby daughter, Paris Talley, inside a microwave oven in 2005.

Two trauma nurses from Children's Medical Center were called to the witness stand Wednesday. Both testified that Arnold seemed very upset when she and the child's father, Terrell Talley, brought the baby in for help.

"She was just saying that she needed help for her baby," said Donna Reichert. "She was crying."

Reichert and Lisa Schwing, the trauma program manager for Children's, also testified that Arnold got very upset when the doctor told her that her baby was burned.

"(She said) something to the order of 'What do you mean, my baby is burned?' and she seemed very loud and upset," said Schwing.

During cross-examination, the prosecution questioned how anyone, especially the child's own mother, could not realize that burns covered the child's body.

"Was it obvious to you the baby was burned when you saw the baby?" Assistant Prosecutor David Franceschelli asked Reichert. Reichert replied, "Yes sir, it was obvious she was burnt."

The defense also brought several other witnesses to the stand who testified seeing other people around Arnold's apartment the night Talley was killed.

Testimony will continue Thursday. If convicted, Arnold could be sentenced to death.