Florida Woman Indicted for Allegedly Drowning Newborn in Toilet, Investigators Find Casey Anthony Photos on Phone

A grand jury has indicted a Florida woman on accusation of killing her newborn baby. Anne Mae Demegillo, a 20-year-old college student from Palm Coast, was arrested on March 6 after she allegedly gave birth in her home’s toilet and let the baby drown.

After a month-long investigation, authorities found pictures of Casey Anthony on Demegillo’s phone. Anthony was accused of killing her two-year-old daughter in 2008 and covering up the crime. But after a highly publicized trial, the court found her not guilty. She was only convicted of lying to the police.

Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, which investigated Demegillo’s case, stated that detectives also found pictures of newborn babies on the young woman’s phone. Apart from that, she had allegedly searched for queries like ‘foods to decrease fertility,’ ‘Palm Coast OBGYN,’ and ‘newborn premature babies.’

According to Demegillo’s arrest affidavit, she unexpectedly gave birth to a daughter at her home on March 5. She allegedly watched the baby cry and pass away in the toilet. Demegillo then placed her body in a duffel bag and kept it in a closet.

Sheriff’s Office said that after hiding the body, Demegillo continued with her daily routine as if nothing had happened. She attended classes and even performed at the theater. After returning home, she dug a shallow grave in her backyard and buried the baby’s body.

Authorities learned about the incident when the Flagler County Emergency Communications Center received a call requesting a welfare check at Demegillo’s home. The accused had confessed to the crime to one of her friends, who eventually made the call.

During the welfare check, Demegillo admitted that she was unsure about her pregnancy, but gave birth in her toilet around 3 a.m. on March 5. She claimed that the baby was deceased, so she decided to bury her in the backyard. However, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office has argued that it was premeditated murder.

Demegillo also showed the grave to the deputies, who found a deceased baby weighing 3 pounds, 6 ounces. The young woman was initially charged with aggravated manslaughter; however, after the investigation, she was indicted on charges of first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated child abuse, and failure to report the death of a person with the intent to conceal the death.

In an official statement, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly called the incident a tragic and shocking case. “This is one of those tragic cases that shock you to your core that a mother would allow a newborn to die because the newborn was a distraction to her life. It’s hard to comprehend how a mother would choose to watch their infant drown instead of lifting the baby out of the toilet,” he said.

Staly also highlighted that under Florida law, if a parent thinks they cannot take care of a newborn baby, they can simply surrender the child to any fire station, hospital, or police station. Demegillo is currently being held at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility without bond. Her arraignment is scheduled for April 21.