Mother charged after newborn found dead underneath porch

SHENANGO TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A mother is facing charges after the body of a newborn boy was found in a crawlspace underneath the front porch of her home in Lawrence County Sunday night.

Police said Brittany Robinson, 23, is facing several charges including criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse.

Robinson told police she didn't even know she was pregnant until she went into labor.

But Channel 11 found out investigators have evidence that she did know she was having a baby.

According to police, Robinson gave birth to a 7-pound, 19-inch healthy baby boy on Friday.

Investigators said she then wrapped that infant in a shirt and stuffed him in a dresser in an enclosed porch in her Shenango Township family home.

"This baby wasn’t asked to be brought into this world and it shouldn’t have been taken out the way it was taken out," said Cindy Mitchell of Shenango Township.

Robinson told police she didn't know she was pregnant, delivered the baby in the bathtub, cleaned him off and felt no pulse or heartbeat.

Troopers told Channel 11 they are not buying her story.

After serving several search warrants Monday, they learned that on Oct. 3, when Robinson was already seven months pregnant, she ordered a type of abortion pill online, but never used it.

Another search warrant uncovered information that during the week of Nov. 13, just two weeks ago, Robinson went to the doctor for blood work.

"There was no question that the baby was born inside that house, the baby was killed inside that house and was concealed inside that house," said Lt. Eric Hermick with Pennsylvania State Police.

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She had the baby Friday and her father found the body Sunday when he was putting up Christmas lights.

She lives in that home with her father and two brothers. Pennsylvania State Police interviewed them all and don't believe any of them knew she was pregnant.

She was home alone when she gave birth.

Channel 11 learned Robinson is already a mother; she has an 8-year-old child, but does not have custody. That's another reason they do not buy her story that she did not know she was pregnant.

"I believe she just didn't want to have this baby and she found a means to get rid of it," Lt. Hermick said.

She told police she brought the hours-old baby and hid him in a dresser before going to work.

Mother charged after newborn found dead underneath porch Mother charged after newborn found dead underneath porch

She told troopers she checked on him the next day, he still didn't have a pulse, so she moved him to a crawlspace on the other side of the house, where her dad found him later in the day putting up Christmas lights.

"People want babies and can't have them. People who have babies discard them, it's inappropriate," Lt. Hermick said.

Investigators continue to interview people and are trying to track down the baby's father.

Pennsylvania State Police told Channel 11 the baby suffered no trauma.

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