A Pennsylvania woman, Jessica Marie Mauthe, 39, faces multiple charges after police discovered the remains of her four infants in a home she was evicted from last month. The grim discovery occurred in Cadogan Township, approximately 40 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, when her former landlord, Brent Flanigan, stumbled upon a trash bag with a foul odor while cleaning the property on Oak Avenue. The bag contained decomposing remains wrapped in towels, according to an arrest affidavit issued Thursday (September 18).
Further investigation by state police revealed three more infant bodies in the attic, stored in tote bags and wrapped in towels and plastic bags. Mauthe, who is currently held in Armstrong County Jail without bail, has been charged with criminal homicide, involuntary manslaughter, and multiple counts of abuse of a corpse. She reportedly admitted to investigators that she had given birth to the infants and placed them where they were found.
Mauthe told police that she had given birth to a child about a year ago, who made noises before she held it against her until it stopped breathing. She also recounted a similar incident from six years ago, where she passed out after childbirth and found the baby not breathing upon awakening.
Mauthe is set to appear for a preliminary hearing next week. The case has shocked the local community, with neighbors expressing disbelief and horror at the events.
“Shocked. No one believed it. It’s just evil,” neighbor Carmen Felix told WTAE. “How can you plop babies in the toilet? The girl across from here is a nurse, and she’s sick. She almost didn’t go to work today because she can’t get this off her mind.”
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