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Palm Coast Student Indicted on First-Degree Murder in Newborn’s Death

Investigators say new phone evidence prompted the move from manslaughter to a first-degree count.

Overview

  • A Flagler County grand jury indicted Anne Mae Demegillo on Monday, and she is now jailed without bond on murder, aggravated child abuse, and failure to report a death.
  • Deputies say she gave birth March 5 in a toilet, watched the infant cry and drown, hid the body in a duffel bag, then buried it in a shallow backyard grave after a campus play.
  • Detectives report phone searches for “newborn premature babies,” “Palm Coast OBGYN,” and “foods to decrease fertility,” plus images of Casey Anthony and newborns that they say support premeditation.
  • Arrested March 6 on aggravated manslaughter, she later posted bond, then surrendered after the indictment, with arraignment set for April 21.
  • Sheriff Rick Staly praised digital forensics and pointed to Florida’s Safe Haven law, which lets a parent leave a newborn at a hospital or fire station without facing charges.