A manslaughter trial is underway against a babysitter charged in the overdose death of a toddler

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Jury selection in the Dixie Villa manslaughter trial concluded Wednesday morning.

The court then moved directly to opening statements.

Assistant District Attorney Tiffany Kaeo told jurors that Villa gave seven-month-old Abigail Lobisch a fatal amount of Benadryl in February 2019.

Kaeo said the toddler was heard crying for a while, then the crying stopped.

Villa, along with several other children, cared for the child overnight.

Kaeo said the child received twice the lethal amount of allergy medication, which is not recommended for children under six.

Villa's attorney, Megan Kau, told jurors in her opening statements that not a single witness would testify that they saw her client being administered medication.

Kau said there is no evidence of Benadryl in pill form, liquid or topical cream.

“We found no evidence of when it was administered and whether it was over a long period of time, several days ago,” Kau said.

The first witness to take the stand was a Honolulu police officer who responded to the unattended death call. He said Villa was cooperative and calm when he arrived.

Villa performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation after finding the toddler dead in her bed the next morning.

The trial continues Thursday and is expected to last just over a week.

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