A shocking discovery in Cadogan Township, Pennsylvania, has led to the arrest of 39-year-old Jessica Mauthe, after multiple infant remains were found inside a rental property she had lived in for several years.
The shocking episode came to light last month, when the landlord, cleaning up after her September 2025 eviction, uncovered a trash bag in a closet with a strong, unpleasant odor.
Inside that bag, he found a deceased baby wrapped in a towel. Horrified, he immediately contacted the police. Their search extended to the attic, where officers located three more infant remains, each one hidden in tote bags, wrapped in towels, and enclosed inside plastic bags. According to media reports, the home had long been under Mauthe’s occupancy, and her removal from the premises led to the unsettling discovery.
Authorities believe the children’s births spanned from six years ago up to the most recent, 18 months back. Mauthe reportedly admitted to state investigators that all four babies were hers, and that some had been born alive. Some of the births, she said, occurred on the toilet, according to court filings.
As the investigation moved ahead, Mauthe appeared for a preliminary hearing in Armstrong County. There, her defense attorney, Chuck Pascal, urged restraint and reminded the public not to jump to conclusions.
“Do not make assumptions before all the evidence is in,” Pascal cautioned, highlighting the necessity of due process at this stage. He emphasized that the hearing had not produced any scientific evidence regarding how the children died, nor proof that any were born alive.
“There was no evidence introduced today about any cause of death, about whether any baby was alive, any scientific evidence,” Pascal stated. He insisted that, “You have got to question anything that Miss Mauthe may have said, whether it was accurate or not. She may not know.” Pascal floated the possibility that Mauthe had been in a “dream state” following childbirth, which meant that she might not have been a reliable person when she gave her statement to the police.
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Investigators testified that Mauthe claimed she did not seek help or report the births, partially because she feared legal trouble. At one point, she said she was taking suboxone, a drug used for addiction treatment, without a prescription, leading her to not talk about her situation regarding the babies.
Mauthe was formally charged with criminal homicide, involuntary manslaughter, and multiple counts of abuse of a corpse. As pointed out by local law enforcement and mentioned in various media coverage, no definitive medical cause of death has yet been reported for any of the infants, leaving open critical questions about the circumstances leading to their deaths.
At present, Mauthe remains in custody at Armstrong County Jail as she has been denied bond, and is awaiting her trial date. Mauthe’s case highlights the troubles of postpartum depression and struggles with addiction.
The fact that she probably had no one by her side when she gave birth to all those four children at different years is deeply concerning. Lack of care and attention can lead to drastic consequences, especially in situations involving pregnant women and Mauthe’s case proves the same.
