An Idaho woman was criminally charged earlier this month, months after the skeletal remains of her newborn were discovered at her home.
On June 5, Bannock police were tipped off about an infant’s remains being in a suitcase in a doghouse located in the back of a Downey home. Cops later spoke with the tipster’s incarcerated son, who identified the deceased baby’s mother as Jessica Lynn Weeks, 32, according to Fox News.
The tipster’s son allegedly claimed that Weeks delivered the baby at home because she refused to go to the hospital due to her drug use.
Fox News reported that a second inmate informed cops that he was in Weeks’ home in January and spotted the purple suitcase. Several months later, the man allegedly said he was cleaning near the suitcase when an infant’s leg fell onto his arm. He reportedly also saw the infant was wrapped in black plastic.
The second inmate’s connection to Weeks was not disclosed but, according to Fox News, the man said he never went back to the home after that incident.
Police executed a search warrant at the residence on June 5, the same day Weeks was arrested on an outstanding warrant for possession of narcotics. EastIdahoNews.com reported that officers smelled decomposition in the yard before locating the purple suitcase in the doghouse, which was blocked with a tire and bags of trash.
Detectives who opened the suitcase found skeletal remains and decomposing tissue in addition to a blue baby blanket and multiple types of bugs.
The infant’s father, Robert Ramsey, 30, allegedly told police that he did not know Weeks was pregnant, or that she delivered a baby at home and stashed it in a suitcase. However, Big Country News reported that he was charged on Tuesday with failing to report a death.
According to EastIdahoNews.com, a friend claimed that in late January, Weeks called her for help because she was giving birth. Weeks allegedly stated that her water broke two days earlier but she would not go to the hospital or get outside help.
The baby’s head was stuck when Weeks reportedly stopped to have a cigarette. EastIdahoNews.com reported that the friend said she and the baby’s father tried to give the newborn rescue breaths for an hour before determining the baby had died. However, the friend could not confirm whether the baby was born alive.
DNA testing confirmed in early July that Weeks and the man were very likely the deceased newborn’s parents. Testing also determined the infant had amphetamine and methamphetamine in their system, according to the news outlet.
Days before giving birth, Weeks allegedly texted someone, “Idek wtf to do bro… and if they turn me in at the hospital, I’m f***** going to prison probably cuz I have warrants…”
Additional testing completed by the FBI revealed the deceased newborn was between 36 to 40 weeks had no signs of trauma.
Weeks was charged with injury to a child, failure to report a death, and destruction of evidence. Her bond was set at $50,000. Reports indicated that Weeks’ friend has not been criminally charged.
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[Featured image: Jessica Lynn Weeks/Bannock County Jail]
