Teen Charged with Killing Her Newborn Baby
Cassidy Goodson is accused of first degree murder and child abuse for allegedly strangling her newborn baby son. The baby boy was reportedly still connected to his mother via umbilical cord at the time of the strangulation, reports the New York Daily News.
Goodson is a 14-year-old high school freshman in Florida and apparently hid her pregnancy by wearing baggy clothes, reports the Daily News.
Last month, Goodson gave birth to a 9.5 pound baby boy in her parent's bedroom. She stuffed a towel in her mouth and ran the faucet to mask the noises related to the pregnancy. The girl even allegedly used scissors to help with the pregnancy, eventually giving birth into the toilet, reports the Daily News.
When the baby was born, Goodson allegedly determined that the child was still alive by feeling for a pulse. The girl then strangled the child to death, prosecutors claim. Following the child's death, Goodson is accused of taking a shower with the baby's dead body, and then putting the child into a box.
The girl then reportedly stuffed the baby beneath a stack of dirty laundry in her room. Three days later, the girl's mom noticed a foul odor and discovered the body.
Goodson has been charged with first degree murder and aggravated child abuse in connection with the death of her newborn son. Prosecutors are still deciding whether to charge her as an adult, reports the Daily News.
Generally, prosecutors can seek adult penalties against a minor in cases such as extremely horrible crimes, repeat offenders, and minors who show no remorse. In this case, Goodson's acts of may not be able to be explained away by her age or immaturity.
It remains to be seen if the 14-year-old Goodson is charged with adult crimes or sentenced to an adult prison.
Related Resources:
- Teen Charged With Killing Her Newborn Son (The Ledger)
- Lakeland girl, 14, charged in newborn's death (Tampa Bay Online)
- High School Kid, 17, Busted in $3M Pot Ring (FindLaw's Blotter)