CHAPTER ONE

Inquest

the small city of dickson

isinthemiddleofTennessee,butitcould beanywhereinAmerica.ItisreachedbytakingInterstate40somethirty-vemileswestfromNashvilleandthenexitingontoabusymultilanestatehighwaythatbisectsthecity.ehighwayitselfisdrearilyfamiliar,lined withMcDonald’s,BurgerKing,Wendy’s,TacoBell,andeveryotherfast-foodjointimaginableandbynew-andused-cardealerships,bodyshops,modular-homesaleslots,tinychurcheswithprefabricatedsteeples,armyandnavyrecruitingstations,conveniencestores,gasstations,motels,anda“Save-a-Lot”supermarket.eonlyout-of-the-very-ordinaryfeatureontheroadisalargestructurewithabulbousdome,calledtheRenaissanceCenter,amultipurposegatheringplacebuiltbyoneofDicksonCounty’swealthiestandmostinuentialfamilies.eroadisheavilytrackedbyspeedingcarsandtrucks,andapedestriantryingtogetfromonesidetotheotherislivingdangerously.Onceothehighway,however,thecityappearstobeapleasantplacetolive.And,infact,itwasaractiveenoughtoincreaseitspopulationbynearly40percentinthe1990s,anditnowstandsatnearlythirteenthou-sand.FoundedbyGeneralUlyssesS.GrantduringtheCivilWarasarailwaydepottobringmunitionsandsuppliestotheUnionArmyoftheTennessee,itisanold-fashioned-lookingtownofsmallbutwell-keptframehouses,neatlawns,oldtreesarchingoverthestreets,preylileparks,andcleanparallelroads.eolddowntown,basicallyasinglestreetthreeblockslong,isnowabitdecrepit,aneconomiccasualtyofthestandardizedcommercialactivityonthebighighway.Someoftheshopsareboardedup,andwhathadbeenamoviehousenowisastoresellinggeneralmerchandise.Aquarterofamileorsooutsideofthedowntownarea,thelandscapeturnsrural:undulating

2 POISONED FOR PROFIT

eldswithrichgreengrass,woodedhills,pastureswherehorsesandcowsgrazeindolently,andlarge,newerhouseswithcarefullytendedgardens.Itisalsoawell-wateredcountryside,withsprings,creeks,rivers,andlakesthroughoutDicksonCounty,sweet-tastingwatersthatpromptedsomeofthecurrentresidentstobuylandandbuildhomeshere.

Not God’s Fault

OnaFridayearlyinMay1998,JudithCudeandherhusband,Gary,accom-paniedtheirdaughterJennytothehospitalinNashvillewhereJennywastogivebirthtoason.Mrs.Cude,anaractivemiddle-agedwomanand“Miss Judy”toall,runstheHoneyTreeChristianDayCareCenterinDickson.She waslookingforwardtothebirthofherthirdgrandchild.Sheandthebaby’sfatherandthefather’smotherwereinthedeliveryroom,andallseemedtobegoingwell.GaryCudewaitedinthehall.eaendingphysiciankeptupacheerful,reassuringstreamoftalkasheassistedJennywithherlabor.“Peytoncameoutfacedown.WhenDr.Bookerturnedhimover,hestoppedtalking,” Judyrecalled.“Hehadhisbacktous,butwhenthenursegavehimashove,heturnedaroundandhehadtearsrunningdownhischeeks.”ebaby’sfacewasbadlydisguredwithaclelipandabilateralclepalate.Andthoughtheydidnotknowitimmediately,Peytonalsohadadamagedheart,avalvethatfailedtocloseproperly.“Ihadneverseenthisdefectexceptaerithadbeenxed,”JudysaidofPeyton’sclepalate.“Myheartwasinmythroat.Myhusbandwalkedintotheroomandputhisarmaroundme,andwewentintothehall.erstthingIsaidwas,‘WhywouldGoddothistome,asmuchasIlovechildrenandworkedwiththemallmylife?WhywouldHedothis?’Myhusbandsaid,‘Honey,thisisnotGod’sfault.’”

Elementary Epidemiology

TwoweeksaerPeytonwasborn,JennywasgiventhenameofanothermotherinDicksonwhosechild,bornacoupleofmonthsearlier,alsohadaclelipandpalate.enawomancalledJudyatherdaycarecenterandaskedifshecouldaccommodatechildrenwithspecialneedsbecauseultra-soundtestsfoundthatherchildwasabouttobebornwithaclepalate.“atmadethree,”Judysaid.Sheandtheothermotherskeptatally.Soontheyhadcountedsix.Judyplacedanewspaperadvertisementaskingfamilies