Eric and Seema Rothstein had such a smooth marriage it made othercouples jealous. They didn't fight. They both enjoyed their jobs,teaching in Fairfax County schools. They were extremely close withtheir families and had plenty of friends, in part through Eric'spreeminence in the local rowing community, family and friends said.
When Seema delivered a daughter Sept. 10, another chapter in theirstorybook life seemed underway. Eric Rothstein, who had never carrieda wallet before, started using one in September so he could carryphotos of his baby.
But the arrival of little Kayla Emilie in their Springfield homesparked an unexpected turn for the Rothsteins. Almost immediately,her family says, Seema began feeling anxious. She couldn't sleep. Shefelt insecure, insufficient. Her parents and in-laws tried toreassure her. Three weeks after the baby's birth, she began seeingpsychiatrists for what the family believes is postpartum depression.
Then, two days after Thanksgiving, the explosion. Fairfax policesay Seema, 5 feet 3 inches tall, picked up a large kitchen knife andplunged it directly into the heart of her husband, a vigorous, 6-foot-3-inch athlete. She next stabbed herself in the stomach, thenwent to the deck at the back of the house and lay down to die. Kaylawas upstairs, undisturbed.
Someone -- the family believes it was Eric -- called 911 but saidnothing. Officers arrived at the home on Shepherd Ridge Court to findthe horrible scene. Police say Seema told an officer she hadinflicted the wound on her husband, who was already dead, andherself. Her own wounds were not fatal. Fairfax prosecutors thencharged her with murder.
In the weeks before the stabbing, Eric's father, HaskellRothstein, had been among those who tried to counsel his daughter-in-law and steer her through the darkness. When neighbors told him therewas trouble with his son, he and his younger son, Mark, began drivingfrom Michigan to Virginia. A cell phone call from Fairfax policelater that night told him the tragic news.
Still, Haskell Rothstein and his son drove straight to Eric's in-laws' home in Fairfax Station, where they have stayed and sufferedtogether. And the Rothsteins are joining with Seema's family insaying that she does not deserve to be prosecuted for murder butinstead needs treatment.
'We have nothing but sympathy for Seema,' Haskell Rothstein saidat his son's memorial service Thursday night, at which more than 500mourners overflowed into the parking lot of a Springfield funeralhome. He said that his daughter-in-law suffered from postpartumdepression, a mood disorder that afflicts 10 percent to 15 percent ofnew mothers, and that 'the blame for [Eric's] loss lies less withSeema than with the medical professionals and institutions thatfailed to serve her.'
Haskell Rothstein even presented a letter to Fairfax prosecutors,asking that no charges be filed against the alleged killer of hisson. 'I feel that Seema was rendered unable to account for heractions,' he wrote.
'My heart goes out to them,' said Deputy Commonwealth's AttorneyRaymond F. Morrogh. 'But I think we have a duty to the victim, andthe public in general, to look at the evidence dispassionately. We'restill in the process of collecting evidence and other information,and the warrant is just the first step in the process.'
After Seema, 32, was released from Inova Fairfax Hospital onWednesday night and taken to the county jail, officials becameconcerned that she might be suicidal. On Thursday, she was taken toCentral State Hospital in Petersburg, Va., a hospital for thementally ill.
Eric Rothstein, 36, dead and cremated. Seema Rothstein in a mentalinstitution. Their family and friends still don't believe it.
The couple met in 1997, when Seema was teaching fourth grade andEric sixth grade at Anthony T. Lane Elementary School in Kingstowne.They married in July 1998 and bought their first house together twomonths later.
Eric was virtually defined by his love of rowing. He turned thecrew program at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science andTechnology, with no financing from the school district, into a localpowerhouse. Along the way, he instilled discipline and respect in hisrowers and co-coaches, for both the sport and each other. With him atevery step, and nearly every regatta, were Seema and their yellowLabrador retriever, Kudra.
'It's a tremendous loss to us,' said Barbara Nelson, an Englishteacher and crew coach at Jefferson. 'We know Seema. We love Seema.We know what a great relationship they had.'
As many memorable coaches do, Eric became involved in hisathletes' lives away from the sport. He frequently had rowers over towatch a football game or play John Madden football on hisPlayStation, former crew member Ray Hohenstein said. 'I thought theywere a really loving couple,' Hohenstein said. 'Seema was so eager tomake sure everyone felt at home whenever we went over to theirhouse.'
Postpartum depression, and its more severe variation, postpartumpsychosis, can strike any new mother any time up to a year afterbirth, experts said. The depression symptoms typically include sleepdisturbances, panic attacks, frequent crying, intense irritabilityand feelings of being overwhelmed, according to Sonia Murdock,president of the Postpartum Support International network.
With the rarer postpartum psychosis, women may hallucinate, havedelusional thoughts and lose contact with reality. Episodes ofviolence, such as Seema Rothstein's or the killing of five childrenin Texas by Andrea Yates, are rarer still, Murdock said.
Medication and psychotherapy can be used to control postpartumdepression, Murdock said. Sometimes, hospitalization is needed. 'Andin this day of managed care,' Murdock said, 'women who should behospitalized aren't hospitalized or are not kept in long enough. It'sso important to find professionals where this is their area ofexpertise.'
Haskell Rothstein said at his son's memorial service that Seemasaw five psychiatrists in seven weeks and was taking a variety ofmedications. But she complained that the drugs didn't make her feelbetter, that she wasn't improving, he said. Police believe Seema washospitalized for a short time at Dominion Hospital, a mental healthfacility near Falls Church, but discharged before Thanksgiving.
Haskell Rothstein also said he could not fathom what rage couldhave driven small, shy Seema to stab big, athletic Eric.
Last month, friends of Seema tried to put her in touch withSharmine Narwani, a District woman who said she endured severepostpartum depression.
Women who have suffered from postpartum depression say many peopledon't appreciate the syndrome's crushing grip. 'I had terrible panicattacks,' Narwani said. 'Many, many times I thought how great it'd bewithout my child around. How much better it'd be if I wasn't here.'
Narwani said that after the birth of her child, she not only hadpanic attacks but also was afraid to be alone with her baby. Still,hospital officials sent her home. She said that once she found apsychiatrist with experience, who prescribed proper medication, sheimproved dramatically within a week.
Narwani said just having support from other mothers is invaluable,and she is helping to establish a support network. But she never gota call from Seema Rothstein.
