HOWARD COUNTY, MARYLAND – In April of this year, a jury found Moira Akers, 41, guilty of first-degree child abuse and second-degree murder in the death of her newborn. She risked life in prison, but Judge Timothy J McCrone of the Howard County Circuit Court gave her a slightly reduced prison term of 30 years.

The horrific incident occurred after Akers gave birth in November 2018. She called for help and was taken to a nearby hospital after the unidentified child was born. She but she seemed to have planned to hide the birth, at least until Howard County medical personnel intervened.

The Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office stated in a press release that “Akers did not disclose the birth of her newborn to the Howard County Fire and EMS personnel who responded to treat her while she was being transported to the hospital.” It was discovered through investigation that Akers had recently given birth at her home. When police were called to the home to check on the residents’ welfare, they discovered a dead newborn baby inside a locked cupboard, wrapped in a blanket and plastic bag. When asked how the baby was discovered at the time, Akers replied, “The baby was stillborn.”

The autopsy was performed on November 2, 2018.

A report from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in March 2019 found that the child was not, in fact, stillborn. Instead, according to the prosecution, the child was a “healthy baby, born at term and alive at birth.” The boy died of asphyxiation and exposure, the autopsy determined.

Police reportedly claimed to have found evidence that Akers searched for information about ending a pregnancy online, according to Baltimore CBS affiliate WJZ-TV. The woman, however, stated throughout the trial that her son was never alive. But the jury did not accept that explanation.

In comments made public at the time of Akers’ conviction, State Attorney Rich Gibson discussed the details of the case. “We had to prove that the child was born alive, which made it one of the most challenging cases my office has ever had to prosecute,” he said. “We were able to prove to a jury that Ms. Akers’ heinous and unscrupulous actions ultimately resulted in the murder of her own son thanks to the great work of HCPD detectives, our prosecutors, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and other experts.” the prosecutor said.