GUILTY CO - Melinda Hudson, 25, charged in death of newborn, Westminster, Oct 2009

A mother faces criminal charges months after the body of a baby was found in a home in Westminster.

Melinda Hudson, 25, has been arrested, but authorities are not sure if the baby was born dead or alive.

The coroner's report states the baby was in a soft-sided suitcase with clothing, towels, paper towels, and trash. The umbilical cord was still attached. The baby was decomposed and mummified and determined to be a near-term to term male.

http://cbs4denver.com/crime/dead.baby.westminster.2.1823193.html

Ladybass0711 said:

A mother faces criminal charges months after the body of a baby was found in a home in Westminster.

Melinda Hudson, 25, has been arrested, but authorities are not sure if the baby was born dead or alive.

The coroner's report states the baby was in a soft-sided suitcase with clothing, towels, paper towels, and trash. The umbilical cord was still attached. The baby was decomposed and mummified and determined to be a near-term to term male.

http://cbs4denver.com/crime/dead.baby.westminster.2.1823193.html

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It was born alive. IMO As soon as I read it was simply stuffed in a suitcase along with TRASH, I knew she didn't want or care for that baby.

I show more respect for my dead pets, I always swaddle in a nice freshly laundred towel or blanket before burial.

If even an ounze or care was shown in the "disposal" I would have second thoughts.

Linda7NJ said:

It was born alive. IMO As soon as I read it was simply stuffed in a suitcase along with TRASH, I knew she didn't want or care for that baby.

I show more respect for my dead pets, I always swaddle in a nice freshly laundred towel or blanket before burial.

If even an ounze or care was shown in the "disposal" I would have second thoughts.

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It doesn't make sense to me, either. When our cat died, my husband swaddled her in a towel and held her like an infant while I prepared a place to bury her. Afterward, we said a prayer and put a rock on her grave, and the kids still visit it and speak of their long-gone cat.

To me, that seems normal (although I think you are not supposed to bury your pets on your property). I can't imagine throwing ANY creature away like garbage, much less a child or an infant. Even if the baby was stillborn, that is no way to treat it.

Why do people do it? Are they afraid of what other people will think of them for getting pregnant in the first place. I imagine most people will forgive an unwanted pregnancy, but who could forgive throwing the baby away like that?

There is no way this baby wasn't born alive. The only reason to hide the body of a newborn is if it has been murdered. IMO Particularly the fact that is was placed in a suitcase with trash. That is not indicative of a baby being stillborn and the mother not being able to part with the body. They really need to work on improving forensic techniques involving the death of newborns. I don't feel they have put adequate research into this area and too many of these women walk away because they don't have the forensic science necessary to convict them. This is unacceptable and needs to change.

From October 2010:

http://www.denverpost.com/ci_16429918

A young woman accused of hiding the body of her newborn son after his death has been sentenced to eight years in the Adams County Community Corrections system...

Hudson pleaded guilty to criminally negligent child abuse causing death.

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