Woman ‘suffocates newborn baby in plastic bag and puts it in her desk minutes after giving birth’

A woman has been charged with murder for allegedly suffocating her newborn baby in a plastic bag after giving birth in a bathroom, according to the the Independent.

Kimberley Pappas, 25, from Wyandotte in the US state of Michigan reportedly sealed her newborn son in a bag and hid him in a desk drawer after giving birth in the bathroom of the business Ceva Logistics according to US police.

The Detroit Free Press reports that Pappas told investigators that after giving birth, she cut the umbilical cord with nail scissors, returned to her desk and hid the baby.

According to Detective Sgt. Crittenden of the Redford Police department, the baby was in the bag for roughly 15 minutes to half an hour before firemen arrived and found the newborn, a boy, still warm in the desk drawer.

Employees had called the Fire Department after they had discovered blood in the bathroom of the business.

They attempted to resuscitate the baby but he was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to hospital.

Crittenden said that Pappas had told fellow employees that she had suffered a miscarriage, but the autopsy showed homicide by suffocation.

Pappas, who is said to have spoken few words whilst appearing in court, was refused bail by Judge Karen Khalil.

She faces charges of felony murder, premeditated murder and first-degree child abuse. She is to undergo a competency evaluation and will return to court on June 8.

Defending lawyer Rob Cassar told the Free Press following the court appearance that Pappas had been in therapy for mental health issue and that, if she had intended to murder the baby, she wouldn’t have done so at work.

He said that he didn’t know who the baby’s father was or whether he was aware of what had happened.

Pappas, who Crittenden said does not possess a criminal record, faces life in prison of convicted of murder.