A Texas woman has been charged with capital murder in the death of her newborn baby after initially telling a doctor who removed her placenta she didn’t remember giving birth.
Police were called to Midland Memorial Hospital on November 30 after the doctor performed the surgery on 31-year-old Megan Cawley. He said the placenta was that of a 36-week pregnancy and that he believed the baby had been born about four days earlier, KOSA reported.
Cawley reportedly told police that she did not know she was pregnant and denied giving birth. Police called her fiance, who told them that he’d gone to the house after Cawley went to the hospital and found a significant amount of blood in the bathroom, which he believed was from a urinary tract infection. The fiance gave police permission to search the premises, and while they were en route, Cawley texted her fiance:
“I love you. I messed up. Trunk of the Impala, they won’t have to check the house. It was already dead. I’m going to jail for life.”
Cawley’s arrest warrant says she told investigators she had the baby on November 26, put the infant into black plastic bags, and then put the bags in the trunk of her car. She also reported told police that her fiance did not know she was pregnant or had given birth.
According to the warrant, Cawley said the baby was not breathing when she put him into the plastic bags, but paramedics said he had been breathing.
Cawley remains hospitalized but is in police custody, according to KOSA.
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