Pennsylvania Woman Charged in Deaths of Four Infants
A western Pennsylvania woman is facing charges of criminal homicide, involuntary manslaughter, and abuse of a corpse following the discovery of the remains of four infants at a former residence.
Jessica Marie Mauthe, 39, was arrested after police were contacted by her former landlord while he was cleaning the property outside Ford City, approximately 40 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. The landlord alerted authorities on September 13th after discovering a decomposing body wrapped in towels and contained within a trash bag in a bedroom closet.
Pennsylvania State Police subsequently searched the home on Oak Avenue in Cadogan Township, uncovering the remains of three additional infants in the attic. The bodies were found inside tote bags, wrapped in towels and sealed in plastic bags, according to police reports.
Investigators state that Mauthe confessed to giving birth to one infant approximately a year ago, who exhibited signs of life before ceasing to breathe while held against her. She also described giving birth to another infant around six years ago, who whimpered briefly before she lost consciousness; upon waking, she found the baby unresponsive beneath her.
Mauthe is currently held without bail in the armstrong County Jail. she faces one count of criminal homicide related to the infant who died a year ago, one count of involuntary manslaughter concerning the death approximately six years prior, and four counts each of concealing the death of a child and abuse of a corpse.A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for next week.
Attempts to reach Mauthe’s public defender, Greta Marie Kiser, and Armstrong county District Attorney Katie Charlton for comment were unsuccessful as of Monday.
