Dr Deborah Eappen: "We must not celebrate murder"

Dr Deborah Eappen told a Massachusetts legislative hearing that murdering her eight-month-old son had become "the biggest opportunity of Louise Woodward's life".

She appealed on behalf of all victims of violent crime, and said the ordeal of keeping the Woodward family from benefiting from the death of baby Matthew was something that no one should have to endure.

Dr Eappen and her husband Sunil filed a federal civil suit against Woodward to stop her from making money from the crime.

Louise Woodward: Forbidden to profit from her story

A judge ruled in January that Woodward, 21, of Elton, Cheshire, could tell her side of the story as long as she did not profit from it.

Dr Eappen said: "It is common sense. We must not celebrate murder. We must not make a celebrity out of a murderer."

She said the pain of her son's death in 1997 still lingered, and told the hearing that both Woodward and her sister had been seen driving new cars, which was evidence that they had profited from the crime.

Multiple shootings

Dr Eappen testified on Thursday before the legislative committee considering a so-called "Son of Sam" bill.

The original "Son of Sam" law was passed in 1977 in New York to block attempts by serial killer David Berkowitz to sell the rights to his story.

Berkowitz killed six people and injured seven others in a series of shootings that terrorised New York City.

The law was later declared unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court.

A jury originally convicted Woodward of second-degree murder for Matthew Eappen's death.

A judge later reduced the verdict to manslaughter and sentenced her to the 279 days she had served in prison since her arrest in February 1997.