An 18-year-old woman in Alabama has been charged with capital murder after police say she threw her newborn baby inside a trash compactor at a local dumpster.
Who is Jakayla Williams? 18-year-old Alabama woman charged with capital murder after allegedly killing newborn
The woman, Jakayla Williams, allegedly gave birth to the baby boy at her home on August 13. She then wrapped the baby in a blanket and placed him inside a dumpster at an apartment complex, police said.
The baby’s body was later found in the dumpster, which had a trash compactor attached to it. The infant’s remains were wrapped in a mattress protector and placed inside a duffel bag.
Williams told investigators that she did not want to be a mother at just 18 years old and that having a baby “cost too much money.”
She is currently being held at the Dothan City Jail without bail.
The case has shocked the community, and many people are calling for Williams to be given the death penalty. However, it is unclear at this point whether prosecutors will pursue that option.
Alabama is one of the states that has banned abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This has led to renewed debate about the issue of abortion, and the case of Jakayla Williams is likely to further fuel that debate.
The Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit organization that works to end mass incarceration, says that Alabama sentences more people to death per capita than any other state. It is possible that Williams could face the death penalty if she is convicted of capital murder.
The case is still under investigation, and more details are expected to be released in the coming days.