Tuesday, December 31, 2002
The woman's husband said she does not belong in jail.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A mother accused of keeping her dead infant in a shoe box for three months will face criminal charges, even though authorities were unable to determine how the child died.
Amy Page, 32, of Park Avenue, was arraigned Monday on charges of concealing the death of a child and abuse of a corpse. A preliminary hearing is set for Jan. 8 in Lawrence County Central Court.
The infant's body was turned over to police Nov. 24 by Page and her husband. It had been wrapped in plastic and hidden in a closet since August, according to paperwork filed to support the charges.
The mother contends the child was stillborn and when she delivered it at home, she panicked and hid the baby, court records said. Police said Page also had kept her pregnancy hidden from her husband.
What husband said
Page's husband, Freddie, 45, said his wife doesn't deserve to go to jail in the infant's death.
She faces up to seven years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted.
"Had she taken a gun and blown the child's brains out, that would be another matter, but she didn't," Page said.
Page said his wife had been in counseling before the baby's death, but it hadn't worked.
"She needs to be in a mental institution or something. I tried to get her help before and they didn't help her," Page said.
Matthew Mangino, the Lawrence County district attorney, said he doesn't foresee any other charges' being filed.
He said it took several weeks to investigate the matter after the body was handed over to police and they were waiting for test results from the autopsy before filing charges.
Mangino said the baby's body was too badly decomposed to determine if it was born alive or how it died.
Page was released without monetary bond after being arraigned by District Justice David Rishel.
XThe Associated Press contributed to this report.