Alabama
Alabama teen charged with capital murder after newborn infant found in trash bin
DOTHAN, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama teenager has been charged with capital murder after police said she disposed of her newborn infant by placing it an apartment complex’s trash bin and trash compactor, authorities said.
“I’ve never even heard of something so horrific as this. It shocks the mind. It shocks the soul,” Dothan Police Chief Will Benny said at a press conference Thursday.
Jakayla Ashanti Williams, 18, of Dothan is being held without bond on a capital murder charge, court records show.
Police found the baby’s remains Thursday after sifting through the contents in the trash bin, which has a compaction mechanism that periodically crushes trash, Benny said.
Clay Wadsworth, a court-appointed attorney for Williams, told The Associated Press that while he just received the case, his initial opinion is that postpartum mental health issues are a factor.
“There is going to be an issue there with that,” Wadsworth said. He said he will be seeking a psychological evaluation of Williams.
Court records indicate Williams had her first court appearance Friday morning. Williams said there will be a bond hearing in the coming weeks.
The grisly discovery was made after family members became suspicious of Williams’ claims that she dropped the baby off at a hospital and had given it to a “red-headed nurse,” Benny said.
The family went to the hospital on Thursday because they wanted to bring the baby home, he said. “The medical center called us because there was no evidence she had ever been at the hospital and dropped any baby off,” Benny said.
Police believe she had given birth in her room on the morning of Aug. 13 and placed the infant in the trash the same day.
“She went to an apartment complex on the west side of Dothan and placed a live newborn in a trash compactor,” Benny said.
Benny said the teen admitted placing the infant in the bin which was at the back of an apartment complex in Dothan.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Former Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts is set to miss the Philadelphia Eagles Week 17 games against the Dallas Cowboys as he’s been ruled out with a concussion. Hurts left the Eagles Week 16 game after taking a blow to the head.
The Eagles are still in the hunt for the top overall seed in the NFC but trail the Detroit Lions by a game.
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Thursday night former Alabama guard Collin Sexton recorded his first double-double of the season. He scored 19 points and got 11 assists for the Utah Jazz in a 122-120 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
December 28, 1985: Freshman running back Gene Jelks and junior linebacker Cornelius Bennett were named game MVPs after Alabama’s 24-3 victory over Southern California in the Aloha Bowl. A 1-yard run by Craig Turner, a 24-yard pass from Mike Shula to Clay Whitehurst and a 14-yard end around by Al Bell accounted for the Crimson Tide touchdowns.
“We had great respect for Alabama, especially its defense, we knew they were a formidable opponent. But in retrospect, I think they were a lot stronger than a lot of our people thought.”
– Dennis Erickson after the 1993 Sugar Bow
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