18-Year-Old Alabama Girl Could Face Death Penalty After Tossing Newborn Son In Dumpster

18-Year-Old Alabama Girl Could Face Death Penalty After Tossing Newborn Son In Dumpster

An 18-year-old girl has been arrested and charged with murder after leaving her newborn son in a dumpster shortly after giving birth to him—the teenager is reportedly being held without bail where she may face the death penalty.

According to the Daily Mail, Jakayla Williams, initially told the Dothan Police Department that she’d secretly given birth to the baby inside of her home.

Williams told detectives that she did not want to look after the child because the cost of childcare was too high. When Williams’ family initially found out that she was pregnant, she reportedly lied and told them she’d given birth at a health medical center—she claimed she’d given the baby to an employee.

18-Year-Old Alabama Girl Could Face Death Penalty After Tossing Newborn Son In Dumpster

Told Police Childcare Was Too High pic.twitter.com/o6Mu2jR9IY

— Peter Dredd (@PeterDredd) August 29, 2023

Upon recovering surveillance footage from the hospital, authorities discovered that Williams was not telling the truth. Williams’ false statements led the police to the baby’s body. The exact cause of death is still unknown. However, an autopsy report has been ordered.

Chief of Dothan Police, Will Benny, spoke about the incident in a press release. “It is absolutely shocking. In all my years of law enforcement, I’ve never heard of anything so horrific as this,” he said. “It shocks the mind. It shocks the soul. I don’t even really know what else to say about it.”

Benny added the fact that had Williams’ given the baby to the hospital they would have cared for the child under Alabama’s ‘no questions asked’ policy. The circumstances to how she conceived are unknown at this time but according to law, abortions in Alabama are illegal and there are no exceptions for rape or incest.

Neighbors, Alabama reportedly sentences more people to death row per capita than any other state. The state also doesn’t impose an age limit on who can receive the death penalty without unanimous injuries.