Mothers likely to face charges in newborns' deaths

By: Matt Elofson | Dothan Eagle
Published: August 20, 2010

Two Coffee County women are expected to face charges after they and their stillborn babies tested positive for drugs.

Coffee County District Attorney Gary McAliley said no charges have been filed yet, and likely will not be filed until authorities receive at least a preliminary report from the Department of Forensic Sciences from the autopsies of the two infants.

But McAliley said both women could face a variety of felony charges, ranging from manslaughter to murder, or even the possibility of capital murder.

"We don't have many cases where the baby dies," McAliley said. "We have a lot of cases where the baby is born and tests positive."

McAliley declined to release any information about what drugs were found in the mothers' and babies' bodies until reports are returned from the state Department of Forensic Sciences. He did say one of the babies was already dead when the mother gave birth.

McAliley said investigators will likely release information as to what type of charges would be filed late next week.

"They will be charged," McAliley said. "We've asked the Department of Forensic Science to expedite the autopsy results so we can go ahead with our charges."

Coffee County Coroner Robert Preachers said both babies were girls, and one mother was from Enterprise while the other was from Elba.

"I responded to the delivery room at Enterprise Medical Center. I was called there by the doctors that they had two stillborns, and that the mothers tested positive. In eight years as coroner I've never had to deal with stillborns like this."

Preachers said he's worked stillborn baby deaths before, but never when both the mother and baby have tested positive for drugs. Preachers said he was first called to the hospital on Saturday, Aug. 14 around 3:30 a.m., and was called back a second time in the same day around 10 a.m. for a similar call.

"Anytime a mother uses drugs that causes the death of a child, charges will be brought against them," Preachers said.

Mothers likely to face charges in newborns' deaths

Share This:

More from this channel:

Reader Comments

Deal of the Day

Most Popular

Spot Crime

Things to Do