ST. LOUIS — A woman who reported her infant twins were stillborn has been convicted of killing them in St. Louis, Missouri.
Maya Caston, 28, was convicted of second-degree involuntary manslaughter and two counts of child endangerment on Friday, according to The Associated Press.
A detective in St. Louis County said in a probable cause statement that the AP obtained, that Caston gave birth to a boy and a girl between Jan. 6, 2020, and Jan. 8, 2020.
Caston reportedly told the officers she went into labor unexpectedly and the babies were stillborn but officers later learned that the babies were carried to full term.
The probable cause statement obtained by the AP said that Caston had covered the babies’ mouths and noses with a towel and blanket, hid them and failed to get them medical attention. The statement also claimed that Caston didn’t provide the babies with food.
Prosecutors claimed that Caston lacked any action to get the twins care which ultimately led to their deaths, according to the AP. They also claimed that Caston had extensive internet searches for miscarriages and abortion methods before having the babies. The searches, prosecutors said, showed that Caston didn’t want the children.
After she gave birth, prosecutors said that Caston searched “if you can bury a baby in a back garden,” according to the AP.
Caston reportedly told the jury that she was planning to give the twins up for adoption at a doctor’s appointment when they were three days old, according to the AP. By that time, the twins had not eaten and died.
Caston’s public defenders said that Caston had an intellectual disability, and according to the AP, she didn’t understand the risk to the babies.
©2022 Cox Media Group
