A few weeks ago, Richard Luthmann wrote about Adam Gitter, an intelligent, kind, loving, caring, adorable, and funny six-year-old. Last month, he was pronounced dead in a Lakeland, Florida, hospital while in the custody of his father, Dr. Leonard J. Gitter, a local oncologist.
Six-year-old Adam Gitter died last month. Instead of providing answers, his father, Lakeland, Florida, oncologist Dr. Leonard Gitter, has taken to attacking the Press.
Elena Belogolovsky, the grieving mother, is still looking for answers. We are investigating.
Investigative Reporter Richard Luthmann began the investigation and wrote the first article.
Adam's death came amidst a bitter custody dispute highlighting stark disparities in financial resources and parental treatment. The contentious legal struggle, Belogolovsky claims, favored her wealthier ex-husband due to alleged judicial bias and corruption within the Snyder-Union County Family Court in Pennsylvania.
Belogolovsky says Judge Lori R. Hackenberg’s string of outlandish decisions, including reliance on a “troubling” custody evaluation conducted by Harrisburg’s Dr. Arnold T. Shienvold, Ph.D., contributed to the circumstances leading to her son's untimely demise.
Six-year-old Adam Gitter died earlier this month while under the custody of Dr. Leonard J. Gitter, a Lakeland, Florida, oncologist.
Dr. Leonard J. Gitter is an affluent medical doctor in Lakeland, Florida. The legal battle, marked by a series of decisions that Belogolovsky contends heavily favored Dr. Gitter, resulted from his superior financial standing and resources. She describes a situation where the scales of justice seemed to tilt to favor his wealth and influence.
Earlier this month, Dick LaFontaine took over the story because Dr. Gitter and his proxies began an ad hominem smear campaign against Mr. Luthmann based on his personal history. Mr. Luthmann has repeatedly defended himself:
For the sake of honest reporting, Mr. Luthmann handed the case over to Dick LaFontaine.
At the outset, personal attacks appear to be Dr. Gitter’s modus operandi. Belogolovsky’s litigation experience can best be characterized as brute force, belligerence, and badmouthing. This portrayal comes not only from Dr. Gitter’s ex-wife but also from people who deal with him regularly.
Sources describe Dr. Gitter’s despicable practices while facing Family Court litigation. In his Lakeland, Florida, community, he would badmouth and smear his child’s mother with Adam present. “She’s unbalanced” and “she’s bipolar” are some of the things he says to describe Belogolovsky.
Bereaved mother Elena Belogolovsky wants answers about the death of her six-year-old son, Adam. She suffered harrowing litigation abuse in Snyder-Union County Family Court in Pennsylvania because of her husband, Dr. Leonard Gitter’s despicable tactics.
Dr. Gitter also brags about paying his lawyers hundreds of thousands each year. Sources say he actively incentivizes his attorneys to “make life a living hell” for Belogolovsky, the mother of his child.
Court records show Dr. Gitter declares over $60,000 in monthly income. Belogolovsky made under $5,000 and, at times, was between jobs. Belogolovsky, a former academic with credentials from Cornell University and Lycoming College, found herself in Family Court pitted against her well-established oncologist ex-husband and his superior financial standing and resources.
“His lawyers papered her to death,” said a source familiar with the litigation. “After a while, you're in trouble unless you can match the money. And that’s what happened [to Elena].”
Belogolovsky describes a situation where the Family Court scales of justice seemed to tilt in favor of Dr. Gitter’s wealth and influence. Others say it wasn’t just money but Dr. Gitter’s vicious behavior that caused the extended litigation acrimony.
“He’s just disgusting and vicious. Everyone knows his act. He always has to look good and be seen throwing his money in people’s faces,” said one source who did not wish to be named for fear of Dr. Gitter’s reprisals. “He’s a real asshole.”
Dr. Gitter became upset about our coverage of the mysterious circumstances surrounding six-year-old Adam’s death. We contacted him and asked him for his side of the story. We even disclosed the status of our investigation. As of press time, we received no response. Here is our most recent request:
Date: On Saturday, April 6th, 2024 at 8:03 PM Subject: Request for Comment To: Leonardgitter@gmail.com <Leonardgitter@gmail.com>
Dr. Gitter,
We are doing a follow-up on Adam's death. We offer our condolences.
Our investigation, sources with knowledge, and the outward signs show that Adam's death was most likely a tragedy with no fault or culpability. We know that Adam wasn't feeling well, but there was no apparent cause for alarm until he collapsed in the bathroom. The sources confirm that you took Adam directly to the hospital and called some of your contacts along while in the car to let them know you were coming in with an emergency situation. Adam's death is a tragedy but not apparent neglect. In fact, from our investigation, it appears to be just the opposite. The sources we spoke to confirmed that you acted like any prudent parent would have given the circumstances. Can you confirm these facts?
Have you been in contact with Elena Belogolovsky's to share your findings?
What is more concerning is your ad hominem attack on reporters and members of the press. Did you post this about investigative reporter Richard Luthmann on your LinkedIn feed?
Do you deny Elena Belogolovsky's claims of your malfeasance and outlandish behavior in the Family Courts?
Do you deny offering "bounties" and "bonuses" to your Family Court lawyers?
Do you deny smearing Elena Belogolovsky's name in the community? And publicly at times and places when Adam was present?
Are your personal attacks against members of the press trying to find the truth in this tragedy an admission and indication of your consciousness of guilt for your outrageous conduct during the Family Court proceedings?
How is a reporter smearing your name by asking questions and trying to arrive at the truth? Is your attempted bullying of reporters indicative of how you treated Elena Belogolovsky as a Family Court litigation adversary? Did you enjoy bulling the mother of your child? If not, why did you offer your attorneys "bounties" and "bonuses"?
We go to press soon, so any comments would be appreciated.
Regards,
Dick LaFontaine
Investigative Journalist
Consciousness of guilt is the inference that a person knows they are guilty of a misdeed because they have taken certain actions after it to avoid accountability. Some classic actions include hindering an investigation, intimidating or bribing a witness, and destroying evidence.
Usually, no inference is drawn from a party’s silence. Dr. Gitter, for example, has a team of lawyers who probably advised him not to talk to the Press. But when a party refuses to speak to reporters and then starts badmouthing them, it opens the door to further scrutiny.
The goal of the journalistic exercise is to search for the facts. We have given Dr. Gitter every opportunity to state his case. Instead of presenting his own proofs or specifically detailing points of contention, he went for a “knee-cap” shot. And if that is how he reacts to a single article, Dr. Gitter’s behavior tends to validate Elena Belogolovsky's and others' claims. Dr. Leonard Gitter is a “disgusting” person.
With all due respect to the previous reporting, this outlet was extremely charitable with Dr. Gitter’s headshot. More recent photos show his male pattern baldness.
Dr. Leonard Gitter
This outlet was about to follow up with an article claiming the facts as presented in the email above. Investigation and sources indicate Adam's death was a tragic accident without fault. Despite feeling unwell, there were no immediate concerns before his collapse in the bathroom. Dr. Gitter promptly took Adam to the hospital, notifying contacts en route about the emergency. Sources confirm Dr. Gitter’s actions were those of a diligent parent under the circumstances.
However, Dr. Gitter's personal attacks add wrinkles to the case. Dr. Gitter notified the contacts on the way to Lakeland Hospital, including his girlfriend, a nurse working there at the time. That fact, in and of itself, is not out of the ordinary. Doctors date nurses all the time, and it would be expected for a local doctor to have contacts at a local hospital.
But coupled with the fact of Dr. Gitter’s apparent attempts to discredit and attack this outlet’s investigation of the circumstances, there is a strong presumption of the consciousness of guilt. Is there something that Dr. Gitter does not want to become discovered? Did something more happen on the night of Adam Gitter’s death? Or is Dr. Gitter attempting to bury his terrible, inhumane treatment of his ex-wife in the Family Court proceedings?
We invite Dr. Leonard Gitter to respond to us and provide his side of the story. We will report his statements and let you, the reader, come to their own conclusions. Dr. Gitter or any of his many lawyers knows precisely how to reach us.
Typical pattern of abuse-- branding his ex-wife mentally ill with personality disorders that only he "diagnosed" her with. When the press exposes the truth and challenges the narrative, the abusers then shift and target anyone that threatens the false narrative. They've invested time and money to promote the false narrative and anyone that threatens their reality will be their next target. Thank you for your continued fearless investigations and public exposure of DARVO and the abusers manipulation of family court and the court appointed 'experts' who are paid solely by the monied spouse.
Maybe he doesn't feel like his sons death is foder for ambulance chasers? Maybe a Parent who loses a child should not be attacked especially when there is no evidence that they did anything wrong? Maybe have a little compassion and put yourself in that person shoes. I wonder how you would respond in that same situation?9
Typical pattern of abuse-- branding his ex-wife mentally ill with personality disorders that only he "diagnosed" her with. When the press exposes the truth and challenges the narrative, the abusers then shift and target anyone that threatens the false narrative. They've invested time and money to promote the false narrative and anyone that threatens their reality will be their next target. Thank you for your continued fearless investigations and public exposure of DARVO and the abusers manipulation of family court and the court appointed 'experts' who are paid solely by the monied spouse.
Maybe he doesn't feel like his sons death is foder for ambulance chasers? Maybe a Parent who loses a child should not be attacked especially when there is no evidence that they did anything wrong? Maybe have a little compassion and put yourself in that person shoes. I wonder how you would respond in that same situation?9