D.A.: Don't release faith-healers on bail

The District Attorney's Office will ask a judge Friday to keep Herbert and Catherine Schaible behind bars on a probation violation even if the Philadelphia faith-healing couple posts bail in the murder case of their infant son.

Wednesday, the Schaibles were charged with third-degree murder in the death of Brandon Scott Schaible, who was 7 months old when he died April 18 of bacterial pneumonia, severe dehydration, and strep after his parents withheld medical care for four days.

The Schaibles prayed for the child instead of calling a doctor - which they were court-ordered to do in the explicit terms of their probation in the 2009 death of 2-year-old son Kent, who died from bacterial pneumonia after a week and a half illness.

Both Schaibles were originally held without bail Thursday morning, but the defense objected and at 2 a.m., the judge lowered it to $250,000.

As of late Thursday morning, they had yet to post it.

At Friday's hearing, the District Attorney's Office plans on asking Common Pleas Court Judge Benjamin Lerner to lodge a detainer against the Schaibles, which would keep the couple jailed until their violation probation is eventually addressed by a court

If granted, the request could potentially keep the Schaibles imprisoned until after a trial in Brandon's death, since judges commonly do not address probation violations until new criminal cases against a defendant are settled.

The third-degree murder in Brandon's death carries a maximum sentence of 20 to 40 years.

On the probation violation in Kent's death, the Schaibles potentially face a separate sentence of seven to 14 years.