Matthew Wolfe maintained his innocence at trial and refused to “cop a plea” to a lesser charge at his criminal trial in the Lehigh County Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas. He was convicted of shaking his baby to death based solely on the testimony of the doctor who media reports describe as “now disgraced” child abuse pediatrician Debra Esernio-Jenssen. Jenssen claimed that Wolfe caused his daughter’s death. https://www.wfmz.com/news/area/lehighvalley/lehigh-county/sentence-reduced-for-dad-convicted-in-infants-death/article_5b3e21a0-4523-498e-943a-25214110c969.html.
His 20-40 year sentence was vacated on September 8, 2025 to essentially time served.
The forensic report prepared earlier this year by a QUALIFIED expert identified that the infant suffered with vascular disease and it was a massive stroke that killed her; I’ve read the report. This perversion of justice highlights the problem with child abuse pediatricians testifying about medicine that far exceeds their skill set. (It would be as if I testified about an off shore tax shelter in the Cayman Islands. Say what?) Mr. Wolfe paid with nine years of his life for what can only be described as a nation-wide travesty.
Marc Pinsley, the Lehigh County Pennsylvania Controller was instrumental in pushing this innocent man’s case forward. Mr. Pinsley is the same county official who publicized Jenssen’s conduct regarding “Munchausen by Proxy” allegations back in 2023–much to the chagrin of the county commissioners. The current District Attorney Gavin Holihan could not justify Mr. Wolfe being locked up for 20 to 40 years when the evidence didn’t justify the conviction. In 60 days, Mr. Wolfe will walk, but the nine years he served are forever lost.
The story has been widely covered and here is another article. https://www.lehighvalleynews.com/criminal-justice/whitehall-dads-conviction-in-baby-killing-case-vacated-hell-be-a-free-man-in-weeks?fbclid=IwY2xjawMymoFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFXWWdibWJlYW1UY1BMRjVwAR7qyhfaI2csYb21_YmknrxzWUcia0Ma8_Jq2qemWEamayEX6qkSj3iF-Koc_Q_aem_ukp4juHvXY4cNssRjANMiw