Parents Arrested After Newborn Found Dead in Plastic Bag

A police car in a file photo. Pixabay

Police have arrested the parents of a newborn who was found dead in a tied plastic bag at Marshfield hospital in Wisconsin, according to reports.

Marylinn Feher, 22, and Allen Rice, 19, were arrested on tentative charges of child neglect resulting in death after allegedly leaving their newborn—who they thought had died—wrapped in a towel inside a tied plastic garbage bag at the rear cargo of their Jeep. They had driven to the hospital to seek treatment for Feher, who was bleeding heavily, reported Wisconsin Rapid Tribune, citing court documents.

A social worker from the Marshfield Medical Center reported the infant missing on Saturday, April 6, at around 10 a.m., according to court documents. During treatment, Feher allegedly lied to doctors about giving birth as late as 4 p.m. on the same day, the news website reported.

After receiving the missing report from the hospital, deputies went to a home in Milladore to learn the type of vehicle the couple had been using. Eventually, they found the vehicle—a 2000 Jeep Cherokee—at the hospital’s parking lot, where they also found the child before rushing him into the emergency room.

Emergency staff managed to revive the baby boy, but he later succumbed to his injuries at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, authorities said.

According to court records, the baby was born between midnight and 12:30 a.m. after Feher returned home from her job on Friday when she began experiencing cramps. She delivered the baby boy while sitting on the toilet, which the baby fell into. The baby’s father Rice had to pull him out.

Rice told investigators that he tried to perform CPR to revive the baby without success. That was when he wrapped the baby up in a towel, placed him in a bag, and brought it out to his jeep. The couple did not try to seek medical attention for the infant, authorities said, reported Fox News. At one point he told investigators he had tripped and dropped the infant on the ground.

Feher said she then cleaned herself and asked Rice to drive her to the hospital, according to Wisconsin Rapid Tribune, citing court records. This is when they left the baby boy in the Jeep.

Rice told authorities that they tried to revive the infant three times when he was in the car but did not seek help from the hospital as he thought the baby was dead and he was scared.

An autopsy showed that the baby boy was born alive and had several injuries around his neck, which did not originate from the birth, the records said. The mother said she had placed her hands around the infant’s neck at one point during the delivery. Medical examiners have yet to determine the exact cause of death, reported the news website.

Feher also told police that she did not believe she was pregnant even though as many as three doctors told her that she was. She said a doctor told her in 2015 that she couldn’t get pregnant, the court documents said.

Formal charges have not been filed against the two as of the afternoon of April 10. Sheriff Shawn Becker said they are planning to also recommend a homicide charge against the mother, reported Channel 3000, adding that the investigation is still ongoing.

Feher’s bond was set at $250,000, while Rice’s bond set at $35,000. They are scheduled to appear in court on April 22.