Wichita State student charged in death of her newborn
WICHITA, Kan. - A 19-year-old Wichita State student faces first-degree murder charges in the death of her newborn daughter, reports CBS affiliate KWCH.
The Wichita Eagle reports Marissa Carol Fields of Olathe was charged Monday in Johnson County court with first-degree murder and aggravated abandonment of a child in connection with the child's death.
Court documents show Fields is accused of neglecting and abandoning the child at an Olathe home. KWCH reports police say Fields' father found the child dead in a garage the day after Christmas.
Fields' family wasn't aware the 19-year-old was pregnant, neighbors say, according to the station. Police say Fields admitted the deceased baby was hers.
According to the station, prosecutors say an autopsy found the baby was born alive, but Fields' attorney says the baby never breathed on her own.
Fields' lawyer, Carl Cornwell, declined comment on the case Wednesday, but said Fields has been released on bond.
Joe Kleinsasser, director of news and media relations at Wichita State, says Fields has been a student at Wichita State since the fall of 2014 and was enrolled for the fall 2015 semester. Her lawyer says she plans to return to school while awaiting trial.
She's scheduled to appear in Johnson County court on Aug. 20.