DOTHAN, Ala. (TCN) — A 21-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to capital murder in connection with the 2023 death of her newborn, whom she put in a trash compactor after giving birth at home.
Jakayla Williams was 18 years old when she gave birth in August 2023, wrapped the newborn up in a mattress cover and put him in a duffel bag, and took him to an apartment dumpster that had a trash compactor attached. Her family reportedly did not know that Williams was pregnant nor had given birth.
On Aug. 24, 2023, Williams went to a hospital and claimed she had dropped her child off there 11 days prior because “she did not want the child and it cost too much money,” according to the Dothan Police Department. She claimed she had given the child to an employee.
An investigation determined Williams had never taken the child to the hospital and instead had taken him straight to the dumpster after giving birth. She was charged with capital murder.
WTVY reports Williams pleaded guilty on Sept. 14 shortly before jury selection was set to begin. She will not face the death penalty but instead will spend the rest of her life in prison.
Williams’ family claims she was pressured into pleading guilty, according to WTVY. Family member Andre Kincey said, “Her pleading guilty was they were in a cell every day this week, harassing her, coercing her. … There’s no way she would be a baby killer as she was painted out to be.”
According to Kincey, Williams worked at the day care center her mother owned.
WTVY reports Houston County District Attorney Russ Goodman, who had planned to pursue the death penalty, said, “We’re certainly happy to get a conviction, but other than that, that’s about where it stops. … Nobody’s happy about today. Nobody won today.”
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