michelle heale of tom 's river , new jersey claims she was trying to burp mason hess when he began choking on his applesauce , but when she pulled him off her shoulder his neck snapped backwards , killing the boy .
the mother of twins , who were in the next room when the incident happened and then just three years old , was charged with murder and endangering the welfare of a child after a medical examiner determined the boy died as a result of homicide caused by blunt cerebral trauma .
the prosecution has argued that heale shook the child to death .