A teenage mother whose newborn baby was found dead at a Marietta home last month has been indicted on several charges, including murder, according to Cobb County Superior Court records.
The 17-year-old is accused of trying to bury her baby boy just hours after giving birth at home without help, Marietta police have said. Officers were called when a family member discovered her digging a hole in the backyard. When police arrived, they found the boy dead, but he had not been buried.
His cause of death has not been released, and it is not clear who the father was.
The teenager was arrested shortly after the discovery. A grand jury on Thursday handed down an indictment for one count of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, first-degree cruelty to children, abuse of a dead body and concealing the death of another.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution does not name minors facing charges unless they are being charged as adults.
Police have said they do not anticipate providing any more updates, as it “is an ongoing, active investigation and there is no danger to the community as relates to this case.”
The day of the discovery, the teen had to be taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, as she had not received assistance after giving birth and was in need of medical care. It wasn’t clear why she had not been helped. Officials said they were looking into whether the family knew she was pregnant.
When investigators found the baby Nov. 24, they noticed he had been “clearly injured,” authorities said at the time. They said there were signs of physical trauma, but the medical examiner would have to determine if the infant was stillborn.
At the time of the girl’s arrest, she had not been charged with murder. That charge was added Nov. 29, and at that time, the autopsy report had not been finalized. An update on the status of the report was not immediately provided Monday.
The boy “appeared to be a fully formed or full-sized child,” police spokesperson Chuck McPhilamy said at the time of the discovery, adding that the incident “defied logic.”
Police have not disclosed a motive.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
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