An Alabama woman has been taken into custody after the body of her newborn baby was found in a dumpster behind a grocery store.
Nicole Crow, 36, was taken into custody in Dectaur following the discovery Wednesday and is now being held on a $200,000 bond.
She is charged with abuse of a corpse in connection with the incident, which police were reportedly notified of after a phone call from a concerned family member.
The relative reportedly told authorities that the suspect had been eight months pregnant, but expressed the belief that she had already given birth, and was concerned about the newborn’s whereabouts.
A news release from the Decatur Police Department details the alleged series of events, which have since sparked a full-fledged investigation. In it, the officers shared a photo of the suspect while emphasizing that “the aforementioned suspect is considered innocent until proven guilty.”
Nicole Crow, 36, was taken into custody in Dectaur following the discovery Wednesday and is now being held on a $200,000 bond.
The child, police said, was “placed in the bottom of the dumpster under several other large bags of trash” at this convenience store a mile from Crow’s home. She was arrested two days later on charges of abuse of a corpse
The statement, provided Thursday by the department, said: “On October 16, 2023, officers from the Decatur Police Department were contacted and asked to check on the welfare of 36-year-old Cindy Nicole Crow.
“(She) is believed to have recently given birth,” officers added.
As a result of the information provided, members of the department’s Criminal Investigation Division took over the investigation and ultimately discovered that Crow was pregnant as early as February 2023.
Officers’ investigation further revealed that the defendant had “recently given birth” – although the statement did not elaborate on where police secured this information.
Police added that the newborn was missing at the time – a discovery that prompted them to continue their investigation.
“As the investigation continued,” officers wrote, “information was received that the dumpster on the premises of Wally World Mini Mart, located at 2505 Point Mallard Drive… was in need of a search.”
Officers then arrived at the supermarket and began a search of the dumpster, where they found a garbage bag containing the newborn girl’s body.
The deceased child, investigators noted, was “placed in the bottom of the dumpster, underneath several other large bags of trash.”
The body was then transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science for an autopsy, police said. They noted that they continued to gather more evidence to arrest Crow, for which they obtained a misdemeanor warrant.
On Wednesday – two days after the discovery – police revealed how “Crow was immediately located and taken into custody by investigators” at her Decatur home, just a mile from the mini-mart.
“As the investigation continued,” officers wrote, “information was received that the dumpster on the premises of Wally World Mini Mart, located at 2505 Point Mallard Drive… was in need of a search.”
Officers then arrived at the convenience store and began a search of the dumpster, where they found a garbage bag containing the newborn’s body. A sister of Crow’s reportedly tipped them off after finding a line of damning feminine products
The woman was then taken to the Morgan County Jail and charged with abuse of a corpse, while police are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the child’s death.
However, the crime already committed carries a prison sentence of up to ten years, and it was enough for officers to demand $200,000 for Crow’s temporary release.
The department did not confirm that the case is being treated as a homicide, but did emphasize that the investigation into Crow and her child’s death is ongoing — and that “additional criminal charges are likely to follow as more evidence is obtained.”
Police said they are still awaiting the final results of the child’s autopsy, which is being conducted by the Alabama Department of Forensic Science.
Reports from local outlet WAFF-48, meanwhile, claim that police were tipped off to the incident through Crow’s sister, who reportedly stated that on Monday, when Crow left her home, she noticed a large white garbage bag in the back floor of the living room. the car she was driving.
The relative told the station she tried to look at the bag before she was chased away by Crow, who then went to their aunt’s house.
Police are currently investigating the child’s death while Crow remains in jail. Records show she has yet to post bail (currently set at $200,000) as of Sunday.
While Crow was away, her sister said she looked through the trash and quickly discovered an array of bloody feminine products, adding to her suspicions.
When she arrived at her aunt’s house, she told WAFF she noticed the trash bag was no longer in the car, which led her to phone authorities.
Police are currently investigating the child’s death while Crow remains in jail. Records show she has yet to post bail as of Sunday.