Deceased/Not Found FL - Newborn, Lake Placid, Nov 2007, thrown in Landfill *S. Zanchez guilty*

http://www.sun-herald.com/Newsstory.cfm?pubdate=120107&story=tp2ch11.htm&folder=NewsArchive2

1 Dec 07

Deputies are continuing to search for the body of a infant reportedly thrown away by his mother earlier this week.

Cadaver search units from across the state have converged on Highlands County to assist the Highlands County Sheriff's Office in its search for the baby's body.

Born around 1 a.m. Nov. 23 at a home in the Sun 'n Lakes subdivision in Lake Placid, the baby was reportedly placed in a plastic bag and left out with the trash by the mother.

According to Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton, it is unknown if the child was alive at the time it was placed in the garbage.

Search crews began digging through a 100-foot-long, 60-foot-wide and 4-foot-thick section of the Highlands County landfill on Tuesday for signs of the child.

much more at link

http://www.sun-herald.com/breakingnews.cfm?id=4075

3 Dec o7

The Highlands County Sheriff's office believes it has located the bedding used to wrap a Lake Placid infant before it was thrown out with the trash by its mother.

According to Highlands County Sheriff Susan Benton, the bedding was located by a landfill employee who was helping move a pile of garbage for deputies.

Special cadaver dogs examined the piece of bedding and had a "hit" on the area, possibly indicating human remains somewhere nearby.

more at link

What a task - having to sift thru garbage to find a dead baby that "mom" threw away. SAD SAD SAD!!

Poor searchers having to go thru all of that trash... poor lil mite. What is the world coming to?

http://www.sun-herald.com/Newsstory.cfm?pubdate=120507&story=tp3ch6.htm&folder=NewsArchive2

5 Dec 07

The mother suspected of throwing her newborn baby out with the trash Nov. 23 has been arrested by the Highlands County Sheriff's Office.

Silvia Zanchez, 24, of Lake Placid, was charged with identity theft and improper possession of an identification card.

more at link

http://www.sun-herald.com/breakingnews.cfm?id=4400

10 Jan 08

A mother suspected of throwing away her newborn baby with the trash Nov. 23 was indicted by a Highlands County grand jury Wednesday.

Silvia Zanchez, 24, of Lake Placid, was served with a warrant on a first-degree murder count at the Highlands County Jail, where she was being held on counts of identity theft and improper possession of an identification card.

and

The search ended after officials with the District 10 Medical Examiner’s office in Winter Haven ruled too much time had passed for a viable autopsy of the infant to be performed. [Infant was not found.]

much more at link

From 2012:

http://www.2dca.org/opinions/Opinion_Pages/Opinion_Page_2012/April/April 11, 2012/2D11-2853.pdf

After being charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, Ms. Zanchez entered a negotiated plea to aggravated manslaughter of a child and was sentenced to twenty years in prison on February 9, 2009.

According to the limited factual basis recited by the prosecutor at the plea hearing, Ms. Zanchez caused the death of a child that was born alive but whose body was never recovered.

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