Authorities interview mother of dead newborn

NEW CONCORD – It took authorities less than 48 hours to find and interview the mother of a newborn found dead on Muskingum University's campus.

The mother, a student at the university, has not been arrested or charged with any crime, said Muskingum County Sheriff's Office Capt. Jeff Lecocq. Authorities are not releasing her name.

The newborn was found just after 9 p.m. Wednesday at 125 Lakeside Drive. The sheriff's office, New Concord police, campus police and Emergency Medical Services all responded to the university-owned residence, and some stayed on scene well into the early morning hours of Thursday.

No preliminary autopsy report had been released as of Friday, though the baby was sent to the Licking County coroner.

PREVIOUSLY: Dead baby is second at Muskingum University since 2002

Though authorities are releasing few details of the case, as the investigation is ongoing, it's not the first time a dead baby was found on campus.

In February 2002, a student was arrested and indicted for involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and abuse of a corpse after disposing of a newborn boy in a dumpster still alive. The baby died of asphyxiation, the Licking County coroner ruled.

Jennifer Bryant, then 22, a student at what was then called Muskingum College, pleaded guilty and was sentenced in June 2003 to three years in prison. She was released after seven months.

But mothers like Bryant have options available to them other than abandoning their child to die.

Passed in 2001, Ohio's Safe Haven law allows mothers or fathers unready to raise a child to anonymously and voluntarily leave newborns up to 30 days old with either a medical worker at a hospital, a medical worker at a fire department or a police officer.

Personnel with the local children-services agency then take care of the child until they are able to place him or her in a permanent home.

The parents are immune from prosecution unless the newborn shows sign of abuse or neglect.

Since the law was enacted, 78 newborns have been voluntarily surrendered in the state, including one in Muskingum County, according to numbers provided by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. There were some years when several counties did not file such a report.

The first safe-haven law was enacted in Texas in 1999, and since then, all U.S. states, as well as the District of Columbia, have passed safe-haven legislation.

"You would like to think that society would not need a safe-havens law," said Dave Boyer, executive director of Muskingum County Children Services. "Unfortunately, we don't deal with ideals in this world."

Three people have attempted to turn a child over through the act in Muskingum County since 2001, though only one was official, Boyer said.

In one case, an aunt, not the parents, attempted to surrender the child. In the other case, the child was found to be born addicted to crack, and criminal actions were taken against the mother, Boyer said.

Though public awareness of the safe-haven option to mothers was high at the time of the law's passage, Boyer wonders whether awareness has waned over 14 years.

Data shows that 11 babies were reported as surrendered under the law statewide in 2002. Only one newborn, in Franklin County, was reported in 2014.

"If we can save one baby, it would be well worth any time and effort spent trying to educate the public," Boyer said. "There are options. You don't have to allow this horrible fate."

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