PIKE COUNTY, Ala. (TCN) — A mother will spend over a decade behind bars in connection with the death of her baby, who was born with drugs in his system.
The 12th Circuit District Attorney’s Office announced that on Aug. 5, Chelsey Redmon-Zellers pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 15 years in the Alabama Department of Corrections.
According to prosecutors, on March 18, 2023, Redmon-Zeller’s baby was delivered stillborn at Medical Center Enterprise. The coroner’s office determined the baby had methamphetamine, amphetamine, and fentanyl in his blood. The district attorney’s office noted that “the fentanyl was in an amount that could be lethal to human life.”
Investigators reportedly determined Redmon-Zellers “had been counseled to avoid illicit substances during her pregnancy,” but “that advice was not followed.”
In a statement, District Attorney James Tarbox said, “This is a tragic case that was difficult to work on for all involved. To have a baby that should have been born and given a chance at life die in this manner is heartbreaking.”
Tarbox continued, “The manslaughter charge for which the defendant entered a guilty plea is still a very serious charge, and it reflects the completely reckless disregard and lack of care she had for the human life growing inside of her as she continued to ingest meth and fentanyl.”
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