Woman Who Admitted To Killing Her Newborn Baby 52 Years Ago Has Jail Sentence Suspended
After 52 years, a woman breaks her silence and admits to the Leicester Crown Court that her newborn baby’s death wasn’t accidental; she deliberately smothered him to death because he wouldn’t stop crying.
Although 67-year-old Melody Casson of Braunstone, Leicester admitted to the murder of her newborn baby, she has avoided jail time, according to the Daily Mirror.
Teen mum who smothered her crying baby confesses 52 years later http://t.co/X788Z88fuG pic.twitter.com/4AeA825Ksz
— Daily Star (@Daily_Star) July 22, 2015
In 1963, Casson gave birth to a baby boy named Wayne Harper who after 18 days was smothered to death by the hands of his mother; however, she told police officials that she awoke from a nap to find that she had unknowingly rolled on top of him as she slept, killing him.
Casson insinuated that the death of her newborn baby was an accident, but for 52 years, she withheld the fact that she took a cushion and smothered her newborn baby to death because he wouldn’t stop crying.
Unable to keep the horrifying secret to herself any longer, prosecutor Adrienne Lucking said she confessed to police officials who arrived at her home due to a domestic dispute. Casson said, “I want to tell you something – to tell you everything.”
“When I was 15 I had a baby, and he cried and he cried and cried and cried incessantly. I put a cushion over his face and smothered him and killed him. I said it was an accident but it wasn’t; I said I’d fallen asleep with him. I killed him.”
“This happened when I was a schoolgirl. I’ve been living with this all my life. I knew it was coming,” Casson added.
“I can’t take no more of the pain.”
Tomorrow’s front page: I killed my crying baby boy…52 years ago. #tomorrowspaperstoday http://t.co/qYZbPnlUhz pic.twitter.com/ffwXGX8dK7
— Daily Mirror (@DailyMirror) July 21, 2015
In court, Judge Justice Thirwall said, “It’s important it’s understood by everyone that you didn’t intend to kill your baby. No one suggests you intended to do him any serious harm.”
“I accept you’ve felt guilt every day of your life for the last 52 years and I accept in your case there is real life-long guilt. You wanted to bring yourself to justice and that is what you have done.”
“Were it not for that it would never have been known and it’s right and proper you brought it before the court and accept public responsibility for what you did.”
“You took your baby’s life and deceived the coroner. This is a highly unusual case and may well be unique,” the judge continued.
“You were 15, you were a schoolgirl, you were a child and you’ve lived your youth and all your adult life in the shadow of these offences.”
“The punishment inflicted upon you will be lifelong, until the day you die, and nothing I do will alter that.”
Melody Casson was initially given a two-year jail sentence for smothering her newborn baby to death 52 years ago, but it was suspended.
[Image courtes of Mark Wilson / Getty Images]
