Overview
- A Flagler County grand jury on Monday indicted Anne Mae Demegillo on first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated child abuse, and failure to report a death, and she surrendered and is being held without bond ahead of an April 21 arraignment.
- Deputies allege Demegillo gave birth in a toilet on March 5, watched the infant cry and drown, placed the body in a duffel bag to leave for college activities, then returned and buried the baby in a shallow backyard grave.
- Detectives say a phone review uncovered searches for “newborn premature babies,” “Palm Coast OBGYN,” and “foods to decrease fertility,” along with images of Casey Anthony and newborns that investigators argue point to planning.
- A friend who received messages about a secret pregnancy and birth called for a welfare check on March 6, leading deputies to the home where they recovered a baby girl weighing about 3 pounds, 6 ounces, wrapped in a towel under 4–5 inches of dirt.
- Officials highlighted Florida’s Safe Haven law, which allows parents to surrender a newborn at a hospital, fire station, or police station without prosecution if they cannot care for the child.