TACOMA — A 20-year-old Washington woman has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of her newborn daughter in Tacoma. Pierce County prosecutors say Melissa Cathryn McMillen pleaded not guilty Friday. Bail was set at $1 million.
The News Tribune says court papers indicate McMillen told investigators she gave birth in the toilet of her home last Saturday. She said the baby was dead. According to the documents, she said she didn’t touch the baby, only looked at her from a distance. She later stashed the baby in the basement.
The newspaper says McMillen’s boyfriend called for medical aid Tuesday night, saying his girlfriend had given birth to a stillborn four days earlier.
The Pierce County medical examiner’s office says the child was born alive after a full-term pregnancy. The cause of death was not immediately known.
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Information from: The News Tribune, http://www.thenewstribune.com
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