Additional Coverage:
- Mom ‘left 3 dead children in rented home before eviction, with 1 found in trash and 2 in attic’ (themirror.com)
A Pennsylvania woman has been arrested and charged in connection with the discovery of the remains of three infants in a Cadogan Township home.
39-year-old Jessica M. Mauthe faces charges of criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse, relating to one of the infants.
Police were called to the residence on Saturday after the homeowner, who had recently evicted Mauthe, reported finding a decomposing body inside a trash bag while preparing the house for a new tenant. The homeowner had reportedly noticed a foul odor emanating from a closet before making the grisly discovery.
A subsequent search of the home uncovered the remains of two additional infants, each contained in a separate tote bag in the attic. One infant was found inside a black garbage bag wrapped in a towel within a tote bag, while the other was discovered similarly wrapped inside a bucket placed within another tote bag.
According to investigators, Mauthe confessed to giving birth to the first infant, found in the closet, approximately a year ago. She allegedly told police the baby was born in the toilet and left there for several minutes.
She then wrapped the infant in a towel until it stopped making noises, placing the body in garbage bags and concealing it in the closet. Mauthe also admitted to giving birth to the two infants found in the attic.
District Attorney Katie Charlton has indicated that further charges may be forthcoming pending the results of autopsies on the two infants recovered from the attic.
The investigation is ongoing, and Mauthe is currently being held without bond in the Armstrong County Jail. Neighbors expressed shock and disbelief at the allegations.