Infant SMALLWOOD - Newborn - Punta Gorda FL

Dead baby found in Punta Gorda woman's freezer

3:24 PM, Jan 31, 2012




Police tape ropes off a Punta Gorda home where investigators say a dead baby was found stored in a freezer.

PUNTA GORDA, Florida (WINK) - Punta Gorda police say an infant was found dead inside the freezer of a Boca Grande Blvd. home Monday night.

Investigators identified the mother as 27-year-old Jessica Smallwood, who lived at the home with her three other children. Crime scene units continue to search the residence, as they are calling the infant's death suspicious.

Police expanded the crime scene, blocking off much of Boca Grande Blvd. looking for clues. Cadaver dogs from the Sarasota Sheriff's Office were also brought in to help, although investigators would not comment if they found anything.

The story unfolded Monday night, when police say Smallwood went to the hospital, bleeding. While at the hospital, she told doctors some information, which prompted them to call police. When officers arrived, they found the infant dead in the freezer. It's unclear how the infant died.

Smallwood has been released from the hospital and has not been charged with anything. D.C.F. is also investigating.

Smallwood's other three children have been removed from the home and placed in foster care. A spokesperson said the agency has received prior reports ivolving this family, however, none involved allegations of physical abuse

http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/235590/19/Dead-baby-found-in-Punta-Gorda-womans-freezer

Police: Newborn's corpse found in freeze

Posted: Jan 31, 2012 10:24 AM EST Updated: Jan 31, 2012 4:06 PM


Sheriff's K9 unit searching a field near the home (Josh Repp / NBC2)


(Josh Repp / NBC2)

Police investigating suspicious death of infant

Updated:
Tuesday, January 31 2012 9:12 AM ESTOfficials with the Punta Gorda Police Department are investigating the death of an infant – a death they say is suspicious in nature.

PUNTA GORDA, FL - Police are spending a second day investigating the death of a newborn, after the baby's corpse was found in a freezer at a home on Boca Grande Boulevard in Punta Gorda.

Investigators have shut down Boca Grande Boulevard from US 41 to Narranja Street as they continue their search for clues.

Punta Gorda police say officers responded to 320 Boca Grande Boulevard around 8 p.m. Sunday to a medical call about a woman who was bleeding heavily.

The woman, identified as Jessica Smallwood, 27, was taken to Peace River Medical Center.

Hospital officials contacted police to investigate Smallwood because she had a suspicious story.

That's when police found the dead baby in the freezer in the house.

Police say Smallwood did not report the death of the baby, and she is reportedly not cooperating with investigators.

Police confirm they are checking the sewer lines at the home on Boca Grande Boulevard to search for evidence. They have also brought in cadaver dogs from Sarasota to assist in the search for evidence.

Smallwood and the father of at least two of her children, Kevin Garcia, were called to a custody hearing Tuesday morning. Jessica Smallwood's parents were given custody of the three other children that live with the couple.

The judge said Jessica's parents must be present if Garcia and Smallwood are with the children.

Neighbors say the children, two girls and a boy, are all under 10 years old. In court, it was revealed that Smallwood's oldest child is from another relationship.

The judge also said that arrangement could change if the couple were to face charges after the police investigation.

According to DCF, they've been involved with the family twice before over several years.

They say the incidents have never involved physical abuse. DCF would not go into specifics about the cases, but say other reasons they could visit a home would involve drug abuse or children being unsupervised.

http://www.nbc-2.com/story/16635773/2012/01/31/police-investigating-suspicious-death-of-infant

Poster's Note: Sadly, it's OK to take drugs and kill your unborn baby. There will be no charges against Jessica Smallwood because the baby was born stillborn.

Jessica Smallwood Won't Be Charged After Drugged Fetus Found In Freezer
The Huffington Post Andy Campbell First Posted: 11/10/12 EST Updated: 11/12/12 EST


A Florida woman whose stillborn fetus was found in the freezer won't be charged, despite traces of cocaine found in the fetus' blood.

Jessica Smallwood, 27, was under intense police scrutiny for six months following the discovery of a 6 1/2-pound, third-trimester female fetus wrapped in a garbage bag inside her freezer in Punta Gorda. But the investigation concluded Thursday after prosecutors deemed the fetus stillborn -- it never took a breath, according to the Herald Tribune.

Cocaine was found in the fetus' blood, but expectant mothers cannot be charged for passing drugs to their fetus.

"You wouldn't want to hinder a woman from seeking prenatal care out of fear that she would be charged criminally," assistant state attorney Shannon Doolity told the paper.

There are laws that dictate proper disposal of remains in Florida, but there's no evidence that a crime occurred. During the investigation, Smallwood maintained that she thought she had passed a blood clot in January and didn't know she was pregnant. Investigators couldn't confirm who put the fetus in the freezer.

Smallwood gave conflicting stories to police over the course of the investigation, which began when her mother called an ambulance because she was bleeding profusely. She reportedly gave a suspicious story that led officers to get a warrant to search her home.

The fetus was originally reported as a newborn by NBC-2, but an autopsy revealed that the corpse was a stillborn.

Link to article and video:
http://main.aol.com/2012/11/10/jessica-smallwood-wont-be-charged-fetus-in-freezer_n_2117437.html

Sad that someone would treat even still born that way. God mentioned in the bible about knowing a person in the womb. To God this little girl had a name and a soul. Too bad the mother did not respect that. I shed a tear for the little angel.

William

I agree William. It is truly sad.

And I agree with both of you, William and babyJ. Sad world. And I guess because this precious baby never took a breath of our polluted air the police don't care that she was just wrapped in a trash bag and put in the freezer. It's just wrong.

So, drug your baby to death while you're pregnant and you get a free pass for murder! OMG, how horrible.

Florida doesn't have a good track record concerning murdered babies. Shame on us!!

This prosecutor could have charged this POS woman, but chose not to. He doesn't deserve to represent the state of Florida if he doesn't have the balls to prosecute a murdering bitch like this POS uterus.