Media

Charges Reduced Against Mother of Baby Found Dead In Northaven

Release Date: August 14, 2006

Shelby County Sheriff’s Detectives have reduced the charge against a Northaven woman whose baby was found dead in the driveway of a home recently.

Late this afternoon, Deputies amended the charge against Sierra Williams, 20, of Northaven, from Reckless Homicide to Abuse of a Corpse. Abuse of a Corpse is a felony but carries a lighter sentence than Reckless Homicide.

The head and part of the upper torso of the baby was found on the morning of August 4, 2006, in the driveway of a home on Carterville Place in Northaven in North Shelby County.  A dog had discovered the baby’s body in a bag hidden in a wooded area behind Ms. Williams’ home.

Later that day, Ms. Williams admitted to Deputies she had the baby on July 21st and panicked after the delivery.  She told investigators the baby was not alive when she gave birth at her home.

Deputies asked the Shelby County Medical Examiner to investigate to see if the baby was alive before its death.  However, Deputies were told late this afternoon there was not enough of the body preserved to determine whether it was alive during the delivery.

As a result, a decision was made by Deputies and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office to reduce the charge against Ms. Williams.

Ms. Williams remains at Jail East, the Shelby County Jail women’s facility, on a $25,000 bond.  She’ll return to court in the morning.

Sheriff’s investigators have also sent samples of the body to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to try to determine the gender of the baby. Those tests have not been completed.