Mom, 19, Allegedly Drowned Her Newborn Son, Hid Him In A Duffel Bag, And Reported Him Missing

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

An Arizona mother has been charged with murder after she allegedly killed her 4-week old son and called 911 to report that a stranger abducted had abducted him.

Jenna Folwell, 19, was booked into Maricopa County Jail on Thursday morning, PEOPLE confirms. She has been charged with one count of first-degree murder.

Detective Seth Tyler with the Chandler Police Department tells Fox 10 Phoenix that Folwell hid her son's dead body in a duffel bag in their apartment before calling the police to report him missing.

Police allege that when they confronted Folwell about the case, she said she took a bath with the baby. She allegedly told officers that she fainted in the bathtub, and when she came to, the baby was face down and not breathing.

Then, police allege, Folwell admitted to putting the baby in the duffel bag before driving to a nearby park. From there, she allegedly called the police and said that a stranger had taken the child from the park.

But police tell USA Today that obtained a search warrant for Folwell's phone. The device's search history allegedly included queries that included “ways to die instantly” and “missing babies cases.”

According to the police report, Folwell allegedly admitted that she had drowned her son so she wouldn't have to hear him cry. She also said that she “felt bad” after about a minute and tried to resuscitate him using CPR. When that was unsuccessful, she allegedly said she put him in the duffel bag.

PEOPLE confirms that Folwell was booked on Thursday afternoon and is being held on $ 1,000,000 cash bond. She has not yet entered a plea. Court records do not list an attorney authorized to speak on her behalf.