Christina's Story: Newspaper Articles

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Christina's Story - Newspaper Articles

The following links take you to various articles in Christina's story as it appeared in the South Florida media.

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*In Loving Memory Of* Christina Diane Holt May 23, 1987 - September 16, 1994 "Beautiful Child who has found love from the angels...RIP..."	(Not her actual headstone)
These pages contain all of the articles from the Palm Beach Post and The Sun-Sentinel throughout the years.

Woman Reminder Of All Good Parents (11/2/94)
Eye For An Eye Called Unlikely For Stepdad In Christina's Death (11/2/94)
Donations Pouring In For Girl's Burial (11/2/94)
Christina's Death Should Provoke Us To Help Children (11/3/94)
Community Leaders Urge Public To Fight Child Abuse (11/3/94)
Poverty, Crime, Suspensions on Rise For Florida's Children (11/3/94)
Luminol Casts Light on Invisible Bloodstains (11/3/94)
Council Seeks To Offer Aid To Families (11/3/94)
2 Pictures Emerge As Slaying Inquiry Focuses On Mother (11/3/94)

WOMAN REMINDER OF ALL GOOD PARENTS
Sun-Sentinel
November 2, 1994
Author: GARY STEIN

With all the horrifying parents dominating the news in South Florida, we should be thankful for Ramona Pope.

Ramona reminds us there are a vast majority of parents who will do anything to protect and safeguard their children.

She reminds us that very few parents, we hope, are like John and Pauline Zile - he accused of the unconscionable killing of his stepdaughter Christina Holt, and Pauline now apparently bidding for a spot on Oprah.

Yeah, Pauline Zile, who watched her child die, really gave her credibility a huge boost by latching onto Ellis Rubin, who told the world, with a straight face, that Zile "was as much a victim as Christina."

Somehow, I don't recall Pauline being beaten to death and buried behind a convenience store, but that's not stopping her from predictably playing the "I was a victim, woe is me" game.

Ramona also reminds us few parents are like Clover Boykin of Royal Palm Beach, who admitted strangling her 5-month-old son.

And, when we look at Ramona, we realize few parents, thankfully, are like the pathetic thing accused of sodomizing his own child.

There are more stories like that. Too many.

But I still want to think most parents are like Ramona Pope.

Love made struggle easier

Pope, of Lauderhill, saw her 2 1/2-year battle end Sunday when her son Lexen Pittman died after complications from a bowel and liver transplant.

It had been a hell of a struggle for Lexen - and Ramona.

But it was a struggle surrounded by love, which made it easier for both.

"I lived my life around him ... everything I did was around Lexen," said Pope, who gave up her job and most of her personal life, and fought the state and the courts to give her child a chance to live.

"I think most good mothers would act like that," Pope told me this week. "Any mother would do that.

"Of course, I was tired. I didn't sleep at night. I had to make sure his pump was running right, things like that. He'd sleep through the whole night, and I'd be up.

"No, I never felt cheated. Lexen was a joy. He was always one of those babies who was always smiling. You couldn't help but be happy when you were around him."

She's right. I was with Lexen for an hour awhile back, and I didn't want to leave.

Leola McCoy, a longtime Broward activist, helped Pope in her struggle. It didn't take McCoy long to realize what a dynamite mother this woman was.

"Ramona felt an obligation to that child to make sure he got that one chance," McCoy said.

"She is merely a child herself. The tenacity of this young person, to me, was incredibly inspiring. It was a joy to see her dedication to this child. This was her whole life."

How can people do this?

Ramona Pope has been reading newspapers lately and watching TV. She sees the horror stories involving other South Florida parents.

And, like so many of us, she is angry.

"I don't understand people," she said.

"Some people don't value their children. How can you choke a 4or 5-month old? What can a 7-year-old do to make you kill her?

"Yeah, some kids have their ways. It takes patience. But I don't understand how people can do these things."

Ramona Pope, who wants to have another child some day, can sleep well. She used every bit of her energy to give her child a chance at life.

Unlike others who have disgusted us lately.

Local columnist Gary Stein is published on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

EYE FOR AN EYE CALLED UNLIKELY FOR STEPDAD IN CHRISTINA'S DEATH
Sun-Sentinel
November 2, 1994
Author: JIM Di PAOLA Staff Writer
Staff Writer Debbie Cenziper contributed to this report.

South Florida residents who are publicly demanding John Zile's head for killing Christina Holt may not get their wish.

On the face of it, it might seem reasonable to think that a person who beats a child to death and admits it should get the death penalty.
The same goes for the unrelated case of Clover Boykin, the 19-year-old Royal Palm Beach woman who confessed on Saturday to killing two infants.

But it isn't as simple as an eye for an eye.

Palm Beach County prosecutors last week took the first steps toward sending both to the electric chair when they charged them with first-degree murder.

"I don't think [prosecutors) are going to get first-degree murder," said longtime criminal defense lawyer Gregg Lerman, of West Palm Beach. "He beat the girl, but he didn't know he was going to kill her."

Zile told detectives he questioned Christina about playing doctor with other children. She became so afraid that she soiled her pants. He became enraged, beat her and covered her mouth with his hand to muffle her screams. Seconds later, she went into convulsions, vomited and died, Zile said.

To prove first-degree murder against Zile, prosecutors must prove premeditation to kill.

If they can't prove first-degree murder, Zile could face lesser charges, and no death penalty.

"If I'm representing John Zile, I'm going after second-degree murder or manslaughter," Lerman said. "If I get manslaughter, I pop the champagne bottle."

South Florida residents, furious and disgusted, have given radio stations and newspapers graphic suggestions on what should be done with Zile. Zile's wife, Pauline, who is yet to be charged, is being bombarded with telephone death threats at her mother's home in Jensen Beach, the Martin County Sheriff's Office reported on Tuesday.

But in the judicial process, hysteria and emotions give way to the law.

Grand juries review the evidence and decide whether to keep or modify the original charge.

Prosecutors seem inclined to keep the death penalty option alive in the John Zile case.

"If we can prove that the murder occurred during the commission of a felony, we don't have to prove premeditation," chief assistant prosecutor Paul Zaks said.

But Donald Jones, a University of Miami law professor, said, "I think the prosecution has a problem.

"If they want to use his confession, they have to take it as a whole. This does seem to be something other than a cold, premeditated killing."

Zile told police Christina's death was an accident.

Jones said a likely plea bargain or jury verdict could be second-degree murder or manslaughter.

"I'd be surprised if he got the death penalty," Jones said.

Lerman said he is confident defense attorneys for John Zile and Clover Boykin will have similar defenses - that they should be given leniency because they, too, are victims.

"Both of these defendants are going to use some kind of child abuse in their past as a defense," Lerman said.

In the Boykin case, no one can write off a victimization defense, West Palm Beach lawyer Richard Lubin said.

Boykin told police she was thinking of her own sexual abuse as a child when she strangled her son and another infant a year earlier.

If Boykin uses an insanity plea, saying she was not of a sane mind when she killed her son, there may be merit to that, lawyers say.

"If you could have rehearsed the things to say [at the time of arrest), she said them," Lerman said. "And I don't think she is bright enough to think of saying them [for a future defense)."

Will a jury buy it at a time when it seems every murder suspect blames a history of abuse for the crime?

"Until you've walked a mile in somebody's shoes, unless you've been horribly or sexually abused by your father, and I don't know if she was or wasn't, you don't know what that can do to you," Lubin said of the Boykin case. "It's easy to say it's B-S, but in a lot of cases it's true. I'm not saying that sometimes these things aren't feigned, but when they're real, they can render victims helpless."

Staff Writer Debbie Cenziper contributed to this report.

DONATIONS POURING IN FOR GIRL'S BURIAL
Miami Herald, The (FL)
November 2, 1994
Author: DAVID KIDWELL Herald Staff Writer

Still wrenched emotionally by the tragic and bizarre death of 7-year-old Christina Holt, South Floridians have moved from laying flowers at her makeshift grave to offering money for her funeral.
Police, media organizations, medical examiners, even the churches Christina attended in Maryland have been inundated with dozens of calls offering financial support.

"I don't know why, there's just something about this girl that got to me," said A. Lynda Fromkin, a Miami surgical nurse who mailed a $250 check to Riviera Beach police. "She had no love. No tenderness. I just wanted to make sure her send-off was better than her life."

Christina's great-grandmother, who raised the child for her first five years in Poolesville, Md., said she appreciates the outpouring. "I'm quite sure there will be more than enough money," Dorothy Money said. "People should send their money to the Adam Walsh Center (for missing and exploited children)."

Police say Christina Holt was beaten to death by her stepfather. On Tuesday, Walter John Zile, 32, remained in Palm Beach County Jail on charges of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated child abuse. The mother, Pauline Zile, 24, remained free, having exchanged the truth about the beating for a promise that her statements would not be used against her.

And Christina's body, excavated from the makeshift grave, lay in the Palm Beach County medical examiner's office awaiting the trip to Maryland where she was born and raised.

To donate to the Christina Holt funeral fund, write to: The Christina Holt Memorial Fund, Potomac Valley Bank, 4701 Sangamore Rd., Bethesda, Md. 20816.

* The extended family recommends donations in Christina's name to: The Adam Walsh Center, 9176 State Road A1A, Suite 100, Lake Park, Fla. 33403.

CHRISTINA'S DEATH SHOULD PROVOKE US TO HELP CHILDREN
The Palm Beach Post
November 3, 1994
Author: WILLIAM COOPER JR.

Christina Holt has meant more to us in death than in life.

The 7-year-old who was shuttled from family member to family member finally came to rest in a sugar sand grave behind a shopping center in Tequesta. Days of fruitless searching ended last Thursday night after her stepfather, John Zile, 32, confessed to killing the girl.
Her death has left us in a state of mourning.

From the moment we saw Pauline Zile's tearful plea for her little lost girl - who was supposedly abducted from the ladies room at the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop - many of us made an emotional investment in Christina's story.

Maybe it was her perky smile or the sparkle in her eyes. Possibly it was that she was a child who seemed alone in a big, bad world.

Early on, we kept our fingers crossed, hoping for a happy ending. But as the days passed, pessimism gnawed away at our hope, causing it to unravel like an old rope under too much pressure.

For those of us who have worked on similar cases, our gut feelings told us the worst was yet to come.

It seemed every new revelation weakened what Pauline Zile had made so believable. Her image as the heartsick mother, clutching a blond-haired doll that was her daughter's favorite, hooked us much deeper into this tale than we

knew. It was only when we learned the nightmarish details of Christina's death that many us acknowledged the depth of our pain.

Our emotions boiled. Some of us filled with anger toward the Ziles, while others felt pity and sorrow for Christina.

WE DIDN'T WANT TO THINK THE UNTHINKABLE

In trying to make sense of this mess, we even questioned ourselves: Had our hope made us so naive that we were primed to fall for any old sob story?

I doubt it.

We simply didn't want to think the unthinkable: that her mother and stepfather had played a cruel hoax on us.

But we were forced to face our fears. We had to look deep into Christina's eyes as we saw her picture, knowing she stared death in the face.

We had to concede that this story would not have a happy ending.

And as grisly as her death seemed, we hung on every detail. We learned that she died violently, going into convulsions after being beaten, a towel muffling her screams.

For three days, Christina's body was kept in a bedroom closet at the family's motel apartment on Singer Island, while her father searched for a grave. John Zile eventually buried her in a 5 1/2-foot hole, wrapped in a tarp. This was an ordeal that made grown men cry.

CAN WE STILL HAVE PITY FOR PAULINE?

In the aftermath, Pauline Zile, who has not been charged in her daughter's death, is now being portrayed as a victim. According to Ellis Rubin, her attorney, she was under the extreme psychological influence of her husband when they devised the scheme to cover up Christina's death.

Rubin, who is media savvy, is working to counter the public's rage by reinventing his client. For some people, it is going to be hard to see Pauline Zile as a victim when most view her previous role as a grieving mother as nothing more than an act.

John Zile, who has been charged with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated child abuse, professes Christina's death was an

accident. The community has mustered enough courage to respond to Christina's death in a way that may well help other children. Business leaders and social service agencies have come together to launch a campaign to provide information to parents and children in distress.

The goal is to print hundreds of brochures that will list telephone numbers where people can get help.

In a fairy tale world, children would go only to parents who wanted them and could offer a good home and unlimited love. In reality, life for some kids is a living hell.

Death, it seems, is their only way out.

Time after time, we see, read and hear about defenseless children being beaten to death by out-of-control parents. All we have to hold onto are their innocent smiles and the twinkle in their eyes.

Child abuse is something I hope society never is so comfortable with that it stops feeling uncomfortable. The brutal death of a child should shake our souls. And the tears we shed are our souls' way of crying out. So pass the handkerchief to a friend, help wipe away the tears and gather up the emotions.

I believe Christina has found peace.

COMMUNITY LEADERS URGE PUBLIC TO FIGHT CHILD ABUSE
The Palm Beach Post
November 3, 1994
Author: SCOTT SHIFREL
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

A room full of business leaders and government officials Wednesday urged the public to get involved and stop child abuse and neglect.

Responding to the recent death of Christina Holt and other highly publicized child abuse cases, members of the Economic Council, the state Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services and Children's Services Council said public awareness can help stem the tide of child abuse.
The group asked for help publishing and distributing a pamphlet with telephone numbers and other information to troubled families.

But officials also appealed for help in other ways and asked parents not to be afraid to ask for help.

``If you witness a child being abused or neglected, call the abuse hot line,'' said CSC Vice Chairman Don Middlebrooks, referring to the state's 1-800-96-ABUSE telephone number.

``If you are a parent in trouble, if you fear you are out of control or may hurt a child, call 930-1234.''

Stopping and preventing child abuse is the responsibility of the whole community, not just government, said Suzanne Turner, who as HRS District 9 administrator leads the state's main social service agency dealing with abuse in Palm Beach County.

``This community is blessed with agencies that are there to help,'' she said to a room that also included representatives of the school district, parent training groups, United Way and other service organizations.

The meeting was also aimed partly at publicizing another meeting for anyone willing to help with the pamphlet on Nov. 10 at 4 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of the Palm Beaches.

Businesses must also help, said Al Coogler, chairman of the Economic Council, a group of 125 community leaders who own or operate businesses in Palm Beach County.

Some felt they are likely to get the help, judging by the public outpouring for the death of Christina Holt, the little girl investigators believe was killed by her stepfather.

Several agencies represented at Wednesday's meeting said calls to their offices had increased since the case became public.

``People have said their lines are being flooded,'' Turner said.

Some have even offered money.

``One woman sent a check for $50 yesterday,'' said Nancy Lambrecht, director of the Children's Place/Connor's Nursery. ``The note said it was in memory of Christina Holt.''

POVERTY, CRIME, SUSPENSIONS ON RISE FOR FLORIDA'S CHILDREN
The Palm Beach Post
November 3, 1994
Author: MEG JAMES and SCOTT SHIFREL
Palm Beach Post Staff Writers

Florida's children are in trouble. One in five is living in poverty, more youths are being arrested for violent crimes, and more are being suspended from school, according to a new report.

The annual Florida Kids Count Data Book to be released today shows that school suspensions increased 7.5 percent from the previous year studied, and the number of criminal cases entering Florida's juvenile justice system increased 93 percent between 1982 and 1992 - a period when the state's population of young people increased just 9 percent.
Palm Beach County's statistics were often better than the state average,

however. A little more than 15 percent of children under 18 live below the poverty level in Palm Beach County compared with the state average of 18.7 percent. Still, the county must take better care of its children, advocates

say. ``Palm Beach County thinks of itself as a wealthy community, not having these big problems,'' said Tana Ebbole, executive director of the Children's Services Council. ``But we've got them - and in huge pockets.''

The statistics are particularly sobering, coming in the wake of the death of Christina Holt. Investigators believe the 7-year-old Riviera Beach girl was abused and killed by her stepfather.

In 1992-93, the year analyzed in the report, there were more than 130,800 confirmed cases of child abuse and neglect in Florida. That included more than 6,600 verified cases of child abuse or neglect in Palm Beach County.

Juvenile crime also continues to be a problem. In Palm Beach County, nearly 8,150 juvenile court cases were filed, and there were 1,777 cases of juveniles serving time for offenses.

In the same year, more than half of the juvenile offenders statewide were under 15.

``Today's kids in the criminal justice system are yesterday's missed opportunities,'' said Jack Levine, executive director of the Florida Center for Children and Youth in Tallahassee. ``Those are the kids who should have been helped in the 1980s.''

Levine pointed to a decline in the infant mortality rate, the third year the rate has dropped. He credited much of the improvement to the state's Healthy Start program, which expands health care benefits to expectant

mothers. ``This good news completely refutes the claim that government prevention programs don't work,'' Levine said.

This is the first year that Florida beat the national average for infant

mortality. Palm Beach County recorded 9.2 deaths per 1,000 births compared with 8.8 deaths per 1,000 statewide. Last year, the study found the county's infant mortality rate was 10.4 per 1,000 births.

Still, Florida continues to rank 48th overall in the nation for children's welfare. Florida is 49th among states for the number of on-time high school graduations and also has the next-to-worst ranking for juveniles arrested for violent crimes. It is 47th in the nation for children living in families with a single parent and 44th in the nation for having unemployed teens who are not in school.

``The number of poor children is increasing, and more families are falling into poverty,'' Levine said, noting that many poor children live with a parent or guardian who works.

That boosts the argument of advocates, such as Levine, who say that any welfare reform proposals must include child care and health benefits.

Gov. Lawton Chiles' proposed welfare reforms include these provisions. Republican challenger Jeb Bush has not spelled out how much day care would be provided in his plan to cut off benefits after two years. He also wants to limit the number of children eligible for assistance and randomly test mothers for drug use.

PALM BEACH COUNTY VS. FLORIDA

Here's how the county compares to the state in several categories measuring the welfare of children:

CATEGORY PALM BEACH COUNTY FLORIDA

Graduation rate 80.0% 78.7%

Low birth-weight births 7.2% 7.4%

Infant mortality rate 9.2 per 1,000 8.8 per 1,000

Children in poverty 15.1% 18.7%

Child abuse reports 6,603 130,801

SOURCE: 1994 Florida Kids Count Data Book, by the Florida Center for Children and Youth, Florida Mental Health Institute and University of South Florida.

LUMINOL CASTS LIGHT ON INVISIBLE BLOODSTAINS
The Palm Beach Post
November 3, 1994
Author: CAROLYN SUSMAN
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

The Ziles' apartment no doubt looked clean. The blood no doubt appeared to be all gone.

Luminol knew better.
The chemical compound can detect the presence of blood even when it's invisible to the naked eye, and even years after the blood was spilled.

Luminol, used for decades by law enforcement officials, has received a lot of attention lately. It was used in the O.J. Simpson case to detect blood in the infamous white Bronco, and most recently in Palm Beach County to detect blood in the apartment of Pauline and John Zile. John Zile later confessed to beating to death Pauline's daughter, 7-year-old Christina Holt.

``It's extremely sensitive. It will detect blood at one part per million,'' says Ted Yeshion, an expert with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in Tampa. That means with one drop of blood in a bucket of 999,999 drops of water, Luminol can still find the blood.

Luminol must be applied in near total darkness. An enzyme found in hemoglobin, still present in even an invisible bloodstain, reacts with the chemical to give off a greenish-blue light.

In effect, the bloodstain glows in the dark.

``It's virtually impossible to remove the bloodstain so it won't react with the Luminol,'' Yeshion says. ``There are ways to mask that reaction, but we don't like to give that out.''

Yeshion, who joined FDLE 15 years ago, has testified in court in North Carolina and Florida about using Luminol at crime scenes. He teaches investigators statewide and nationally about the chemical.

Yeshion says the chemical can be so effective in helping investigators reconstruct the scene that suspects often confess, amazed at how detailed the officers' reconstruction is.

But, he cautions, ``It's certainly not a panacea.''

Luminol only indicates the presence of blood. It cannot distinguish between human or animal blood, and it can react to other elements, such as copper, bleach, or plant and vegetable materials.

The key is closely watching the reaction - metals will cause an immediate glow that quickly fades, while a blood reaction will last longer, for example - and then doing further tests, Yeshion says.

COUNCIL SEEKS TO OFFER AID TO FAMILIES
Sun-Sentinel
November 3, 1994
Author: SHERRI WINSTON Staff Writer

Responding to the outcry over parental abuses that led to the deaths of children in two separate cases, the Children Services Council asked the community on Wednesday to take an active role in the safety of children.

"As parents we are responsible for the care of our own children, but as concerned citizens we are responsible for the well-being of all children," said Don Middlebrooks, the vice-chairman of the Children Services Council.
Christina Holt, 7, died after her stepfather beat her, police said. Dayton Boykin, 5 months old, was strangled by his mother; the mother confessed to police.

Since the deaths, police and social services agencies have received numerous calls from people asking what can be done.

"If we have the same kind of commitment to the care of our children as we do for our property, we can alleviate some of this problem," said Al Coogler, president of the Palm Beach County Economic Council.

"We want to make it crystal clear that it is not all right to hurt children," Middlebrooks said.

The Center for Information and Crisis Services held a news conference on Wednesday to drum up community support to produce an educational pamphlet.

Fashioned after a similar concept from Central Florida, the pamphlet would carry the Centerline - 930-1234 - as well as tips for frantic parents, concerned family members and neighbors.

It would also come with a refrigerator magnet. The magnet and the pamphlet would carry the referral phone number.

The referral line is not affiliated with Health and Rehabilitative Services, so individuals who are stressed and need help should not fear that they will be monitored by HRS.

"We're trying to get across to family members, parents not to be embarrassed about asking for help," said Suzanne Taylor, executive director for HRS. "We have to do a better job of educating the public. The Centerline is a way to get referrals for services needed."

2 PICTURES EMERGE AS SLAYING INQUIRY FOCUSES ON MOTHER
Sun-Sentinel
November 3, 1994
Author: MAREGO ATHANS Staff Writer
Staff writers Jill Young Miller, Jim Di Paola and Phil Davis contributed to this report.

With stepfather Walter John Zile behind bars, the investigation into the murder of Christina Holt, 7, turned its attention to the child's mother this week.

And conflicting pictures emerge of Pauline Zile.
One: an irresponsible, manipulative woman who chose her husband over her own flesh and blood, hocked her wedding ring a day after her child was killed and coldly faked a missing child story for police and TV cameras.

The other: an insecure young woman who dropped out of 10th grade pregnant, so dependent on her man that - instead of reconsidering her engagement when he ran into trouble with the law - she once pleaded with a judge for his freedom.

Whichever picture is closer to the truth, neighbors and co-workers describe the life of Pauline Zile as an odd, difficult existence in pay-by-the-week motel apartments that the family fled when rates rose for snowbird season.

"I felt sorry for them, I don't know why," said Joanne Mulroney, former manager of the Channel House on Singer Island, where the Ziles lived last year. "Her eyes always looked sad, truthfully. I just thought maybe it was from working all the time and being with the kids when she was off work; she never had time for herself."

At times, Pauline Zile worked like a dog as a waitress while John Zile drifted from job to job. While he lived at the Channel House, he didn't seem to work at all, Mulroney said. He stayed inside all day and blared music late at night, with his two small children cooped up in the tiny apartment, starved for sunshine.

"She even had something wrong with her hands from cutting the lemons and limes, and she kept working," Mulroney said. "The doctor had to tell her to stop."

Neighbors said they felt for the Ziles' two pale young boys, Chad and Daniel, now 3 and 5, who weren't allowed to attend birthday parties or poolside cookouts with the other families.

"You'd catch them standing in the window sills all the time. They wanted to come outside," said Donna Dunn, a Channel House neighbor. "People would walk by and they'd bang on the window, and people would wave. And then the father would see them and pull them out."

The Ziles were so private that they wouldn't let management into their apartment to clean or to repair broken fixtures.

"It was dirty. When you'd walk by the room and the door was open, there was stuff all over the floor," said former neighbor James Wyatt, 13, Dunn's son. "The kids' room was really dirty and it smelled. There were clothes everywhere, food on the tables, potato chips and shoes, toys, glasses, paper cups and stuff."

John Zile had a temper and kept close tabs on his wife, co-workers said, and Pauline Zile did what her husband wanted.

After her waitressing shift, she would sometimes want to grab a drink with co-workers before heading home.

"John would call right away and tell her to come home," said Karen Wehner, a waitress at the Buccaneer Yacht Club in Palm Beach Shores, where John Zile also worked, as a cook. "He told her to get home with the kids."

While she lived at the Channel House, Pauline Zile spoke longingly about her daughter, Christina, who was then living with her grandmother in Maryland. Pauline Zile showed Mulroney pictures of the child, spoke proudly of her progress in school and eagerly awaited the packages and cards which mother and daughter exchanged through the mail.

"She'd say, `Oh, I'm waiting for a letter from my daughter,' all excited," Mulroney said.

Pauline Zile told former neighbor Donna Dunn that she had left the child in Maryland because she couldn't afford to give her as good a life as she had there, but that Christina would eventually join her in Florida.

On Wednesday, with John Zile charged in Christina's murder, Riviera Beach police focused their investigation on Pauline Zile.

Pauline Zile played the terrified mother last week after she reported Christina missing from the Swap Shop west of Fort Lauderdale on Oct. 22, a phony story that mobilized police and the public in search of the little girl, then enraged South Florida when the truth came out.

Zile said this week she tried to help Christina the night of her death but was threatened by her abusive and manipulative husband, said her attorney, Ellis Rubin, who has made a career out of creative defenses.

But police now think Pauline Zile may have had a larger role than she admitted.

They discovered this week that Pauline Zile hocked her ring at a pawn shop for cash on Sept. 17, the day after Christina was killed.

Investigators are now trying to find a tape of an interview Pauline Zile reportedly gave a free-lance tabloid journalist, Riviera Beach Police Chief Jerry Poreba said. Any statements on the tape about the killing could be used against her.

The investigation of Christina's last moments also continues; her tiny body was too badly decomposed to tell if there was any abuse, said Tony Mead, investigator with the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner's Office.

While police continue to investigate, observers from Florida to Maryland continue to speculate about the psyche of a woman who could watch her child being beaten to death.

"What is it with these women who are so spineless they can't stick up for their children, like he's the only man in the world?" said Laura Walsh, mother of two from Laurel, Md., where Pauline Zile once lived. "Maybe she has a low self-esteem, but her child is dead."

Others are not surprised.

"I could see it," Buccaneer waitress Donna Cocomazzi said. "She wasn't street wise. She was young and naive. John had been around and anything John said, she would do."

Staff writers Jill Young Miller, Jim Di Paola and Phil Davis contributed to this report. CHRISTINA26B CHRISTINA1B

2 pictures emerge as slaying inquiry centers on mother With stepfather Walter John Zile behind bars, the investigation into the murder of Christina Holt, 7, turned its attention to the child's mother this week.

And conflicting pictures emerge of Pauline Zile.

One: an irresponsible, manipulative woman who chose her husband over her own flesh and blood, hocked her wedding ring a day after her child was killed and coldly faked a missing child story for police and TV cameras.