GUILTY MN - Nicole Beecroft for murder of newborn, Oakdale, 10 April 2007

[buffetoflies]

She has been found guilty again, however this time she was found guilty of 2nd degree murder.

The first trial found her guilty of 1st degree murder. She spent 6 years in prison... she received the new trial because of the Alabama ruling about people under 18 receiving life sentences.

Now she faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. She would receive credit for the more than six years already served and serve two-thirds of the remaining time in custody.

Recap and more info at http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_24191912/nicole-beecroft-found-guilty-again-killing-her-newborn

 

[MsFacetious]

"The evidence and factual record easily support a finding, beyond a reasonable doubt, that defendant's act of stabbing Baby Beecroft was done with the purpose of causing the death of Baby Beecroft and that defendant believed that the act would have that result," Hoffman wrote.

http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_24191912/nicole-beecroft-found-guilty-again-killing-her-newborn


Please tell me that this baby's father gave her a name? lease:

 

[al66pine]

She has been found guilty again, however this time she was found guilty of 2nd degree murder.
.... http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_24191912/nicole-beecroft-found-guilty-again-killing-her-newborn

From the twincities.comlink:
"Beecroft had gone to lengths to hide the pregnancy, including asking a friend to take a pregnancy test in an effort to fool her mother, and made further efforts to conceal the birth and death, prosecutors said." BBM

Many posts here discuss sudden-onset, post partum mental illness.
If she had a S-O-PP illness, how do her hide-the-pregnancy, pre-delivery actions fit in to the equation?

If she & her mother went to Cancun a few months pre-delivery, and she wore a swimsuit, as posted upthread, seems like her mom may have had some (denial?) issues too. Not an excuse as to her actions.

JM:twocents: and I could be wrong.
Sad all the way around.

 

[Backwoods]

From the twincities.comlink:
"Beecroft had gone to lengths to hide the pregnancy, including asking a friend to take a pregnancy test in an effort to fool her mother, and made further efforts to conceal the birth and death, prosecutors said." BBM

Many posts here discuss sudden-onset, post partum mental illness.
If she had a S-O-PP illness, how do her hide-the-pregnancy, pre-delivery actions fit in to the equation?

If she & her mother went to Cancun a few months pre-delivery, and she wore a swimsuit, as posted upthread, seems like her mom may have had some (denial?) issues too. Not an excuse as to her actions.

JM:twocents: and I could be wrong.
Sad all the way around.

I have not read through this thread so do not know all details of this case, but -- a teen who had tried to hide pregnancy from her mother, etc., would not necessarily be planning to kill an infant after birth and would not be exempt from the factors that may predispose one to severe postpartum mental illness; in fact, one possible factor, stress/lack of support system, would probably be strong, in her case.

Making efforts to conceal the birth and/or death are also not always indicative of the absence of a severe postpartum psychiatric illness. For some women who are delusional, for example, believing that the mother is the only person who is privy to "the truth" (baby must be sacrificed to save the world, etc., for example) is part of the package, and in cases such as that, it would not be unusual for the mother to try to hide actions and to expect punishment, etc., even though she is severely ill.

Again, not saying these things apply in this case, as I just am not familiar enough with it -- just stating some things to consider.

And YES -- so sad and tragic, all the way around, as you said, al66pine.

 

[jjenny]

If she was hiding pregnancy, what exactly was she planning to do with an infant when it showed up?

 

[TorisMom003]

If she was hiding pregnancy, what exactly was she planning to do with an infant when it showed up?

Show the baby to mom saying "Look what I found on the side of the road."?!?!

I know where you are going with your question and I agree with you. The hiding the pregnancy shows that she planned to do away with the baby the instant the baby was born. The knife in the washroom/laundry room also show that she planned on killing the baby the instant the baby was born.

I think it is incredibly stupid that because she was 17 years old at the time she killed this innocent baby that she can't be sentenced to life in prison without parole for 1st degree murder.

MOO

 

[OkieGranny]

From August 2014:

http://www.twincities.com/crime/ci_26432380/oakdale-mother-who-killed-baby-is-sentenced-7

In the end, the judge sentenced Beecroft to more than 14 years in prison, with credit for the more than seven years she's already served. When she's released, she'll be about 32 years old and will then be placed on another seven years of supervised release...

The court also heard from Tina Ross, the baby's paternal grandmother, who said the death has been traumatic for the entire family, especially the father, Joshua Ross.

"Nikki was a part of our family. We loved her. Why did she do this?" Ross said. "It could have all worked out. We could have had a beautiful 7-1/2-year-old girl right now, just starting school."