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Woman gets life without parole for killing newborn in trash compactor
An 18-year-old woman who threw her newborn baby into a trash compactor in Alabama has been sentenced to life in prison.
In 2023, 18-year-old Jakayla Williams was arrest after she threw her newborn son into a trash compactor, causing his death.
Williams reportedly told investigators that she didn't want to be a mother at 18, and that babies "cost too much money."
She was found guilty of murder, and has been sentenced to life in prison.
Jakayla Williams, 18, was arrested in 2023 after the body of a baby boy was found in a load of trash.
She had given birth at home, and initially did not tell friends or family about the pregnancy or delivery. When her family learned she had been pregnant, they brought Williams to Southeast Health Medical Center, where Williams claimed she had left the baby with a "red-headed" employee.
Surveillance footage revealed she had never been to the hospital; eventually, Williams told investigators what she had done.
After giving birth, Williams reportedly wrapped her baby boy, who was alive, in a blanket and put him inside a dumpster, which had an attached trash compactor. Police found him wrapped in a mattress protector and then placed inside a duffel bag, which had been zipped shut.
"It is absolutely shocking. In 27 years of law enforcement, I’ve never heard of anything so horrific as this. It shocks the mind. It shocks the soul," Dothan Police Chief William Benny said. "She knew obviously that she could take a child newborn to the hospital and drop it off and there is Alabama law where there are no questions asked."
In an interview with investigators, Williams said she didn't want to be a mother at 18, and that babies "cost too much money."
Williams initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors had been seeking the death penalty, and Williams agreed to plead guilty to capital murder of a child under the age of 14 in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table.
Prior to the plea deal, the judge had been preparing a jury trial, and prosecutors had prepared to take the jury to see the location of the dumpster, alleging the baby boy was crying when she abandoned him, and therefore, Williams was looking for somewhere isolated.
“Traveling to the location of the dumpster will aid jurors in seeing how secluded the dumpster is,” Houston County Assistant District Kaelan Bradford wrote in a motion.
Houston County Circuit Judge Henry D. Binford sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole this week.
“We’re certainly happy to get a conviction, but other than that, that’s about where it stops,” Houston County District Attorney Russ Goodman said. “Nobody’s happy about today. Nobody won today.”
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·Woman gets life without parole for killing newborn in trash compactor
An 18-year-old woman who threw her newborn baby into a trash compactor in Alabama has been sentenced to life in prison.
In 2023, 18-year-old Jakayla Williams was arrest after she threw her newborn son into a trash compactor, causing his death.
Williams reportedly told investigators that she didn't want to be a mother at 18, and that babies "cost too much money."
She was found guilty of murder, and has been sentenced to life in prison.
Jakayla Williams, 18, was arrested in 2023 after the body of a baby boy was found in a load of trash.
She had given birth at home, and initially did not tell friends or family about the pregnancy or delivery. When her family learned she had been pregnant, they brought Williams to Southeast Health Medical Center, where Williams claimed she had left the baby with a "red-headed" employee.
Surveillance footage revealed she had never been to the hospital; eventually, Williams told investigators what she had done.
After giving birth, Williams reportedly wrapped her baby boy, who was alive, in a blanket and put him inside a dumpster, which had an attached trash compactor. Police found him wrapped in a mattress protector and then placed inside a duffel bag, which had been zipped shut.
"It is absolutely shocking. In 27 years of law enforcement, I’ve never heard of anything so horrific as this. It shocks the mind. It shocks the soul," Dothan Police Chief William Benny said. "She knew obviously that she could take a child newborn to the hospital and drop it off and there is Alabama law where there are no questions asked."
In an interview with investigators, Williams said she didn't want to be a mother at 18, and that babies "cost too much money."
Williams initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors had been seeking the death penalty, and Williams agreed to plead guilty to capital murder of a child under the age of 14 in exchange for the death penalty being taken off the table.
Prior to the plea deal, the judge had been preparing a jury trial, and prosecutors had prepared to take the jury to see the location of the dumpster, alleging the baby boy was crying when she abandoned him, and therefore, Williams was looking for somewhere isolated.
“Traveling to the location of the dumpster will aid jurors in seeing how secluded the dumpster is,” Houston County Assistant District Kaelan Bradford wrote in a motion.
Houston County Circuit Judge Henry D. Binford sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole this week.
“We’re certainly happy to get a conviction, but other than that, that’s about where it stops,” Houston County District Attorney Russ Goodman said. “Nobody’s happy about today. Nobody won today.”
Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.
Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.
Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.
Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!
Anne Marie Williams, RN, BSN
·Investigative
Bridget Sielicki
·Investigative
Nancy Flanders
·Investigative
Nancy Flanders
·Investigative
Kelli Keane
·Investigative
Bridget Sielicki
·Politics
Cassy Cooke
·Issues
Cassy Cooke
·Analysis
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·International
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·Analysis
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