‘I treated them all equal’: Josie Dikeman denies abusing dead child

When her children took the stand, Dikeman said she hadn’t seen them for three years. “It was very hard,” she said of seeing them testify. She said hearing their testimony was “heartbreaking, especially hearing all of the lies.”

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Dikeman appeared to have a flat affect while testifying and at times struggled with memory. At one point, she had to take a break to take medication for a headache. Her attorney said that these were all symptoms of the traumatic brain injuries she suffered at the hands of Alexavier’s father and his ex-girlfriend. “My brain’s going through a lot right now,” she said at one point. “And it’s starting to block everything out.”