Botched home birth may have killed teen’s newborn

Andrew Kenney

charlotteobserver.com

A newborn baby found in a shallow grave last month appears to have died from blood loss, and authorities have not determined yet whether anyone will be charged with a crime in her death, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

Preliminary autopsy results showed that someone may have cut the umbilical cord too close to the baby girl, then failed to stop the infant’s bleeding, according to Sheriff Jerry Jones.

Jones suspects the baby was born to a 16-year-old mother in a suburban home on June 29. The suspected father is 18 years old, Jones said. Their names have not been made public.

The case is now in the hands of the district attorney.

“I agree it could have been an accident,” Jones said, “but … she had ample time to do some type of planning to prevent this – plan a way to give the child up, to keep this from happening.”

The infant girl apparently was born healthy at 8.5 pounds and 30 inches, he said.

The district attorney’s office “is studying some case history. They are now in direct contact with the medical examiner’s office,” Jones said. “Nothing has come together as quick as we thought it was.”

The district attorney’s office may be waiting for a final medical examiner’s report, he said.

District Attorney Sam Currin wasn’t available for comment Friday.