A 29-year-old Alabama mother has been charged with murder after police say she killed her 1-year-old daughter and then hid the child’s body inside a hearse at a local funeral home.
The disturbing discovery was made around 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, August 9, when staff at West Gadsden Funeral Home in Gadsden returned from an appointment and noticed something unusual in one of their vehicles.
At first, they thought it was a doll. But when they got a closer look, they realized it was a real child, 1-year-old Blessence Pearl, lying in the back of the hearse, not in a casket.
NEW: Mother ‘m*rdered one-year-old baby girl then dumped her body in hearse’
Blessence Pearl, 1, was found inside a hearse at West Gadsden Funeral Home in Alabama
Her mother, Terica Pearl, 29, was charged with m*rder
Police said the case is being investigated as a homicide… pic.twitter.com/SaKrsgdKn4
— Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls) August 11, 2025
“I got a call from one of my employees,” funeral home owner Dantez Robinson told WBRC 6 News. “They were getting ready last night, we went out on a pickup, and this morning we get back. He was getting ready to do some grounds work, and we got back to find an infant baby inside one of the hearses.”
The Gadsden Police Department quickly responded to the scene, and investigators soon determined the child’s death was a homicide. Less than 12 hours later, police arrested the girl’s mother, Terica Pearl, at 1:48 a.m. on Sunday, Aug. 10. She is being held at the Etowah County Jail without bond, according to arrest records obtained by PEOPLE.
“The memory of this child will remain with us, and we will continue to stand for justice in every case, no matter how difficult,” the Gadsden Police Department said in a statement, according to The Gadsden Times. Lieutenant Dusty Ford praised the speed of the investigation, telling WBRC, “In under 12 hours, the investigation moved from uncertainty to an arrest.”
Alabama police arrested Terica Pearl after her 1-year-old daughter, Blessence, was found dead in a hearse at a Gadsden funeral home. Staff initially thought she was a doll before realizing she was a baby outside of a casket. Pearl is charged with murder.#smoothvue pic.twitter.com/AFqpZazejm
— Smoothvue TV 🦁 (@smoothvue) August 11, 2025
Details about how the child died and how her body ended up in the hearse have not yet been released. Police have also not said whether anyone else may have been involved. Blessence’s death has left the community reeling, with many shocked at both the brutality of the crime and the unusual way the child’s body was discovered.
Robinson, the funeral home owner, said nothing in his decades in the business could have prepared him for this. “You expect tragedy in this line of work, but you don’t expect to find a baby like that in your hearse with no explanation,” he said. Authorities have not revealed a possible motive, but court proceedings are expected to shed more light on the case in the coming weeks.
Pearl is facing a capital murder charge, and under Alabama law, a conviction could result in life in prison without parole or the death penalty. For now, police say their focus is on building a strong case and making sure justice is served for Blessence.
“This case has touched every officer involved,” Lt. Ford said. “It’s something you don’t forget.” The investigation remains ongoing.
