Woman charged in baby's death denied knowing she was pregnant

MARSHALL (AP) -- The woman accused of giving birth to a boy and leaving him to die in a grocery store restroom told police she didn't know she was pregnant until she gave birth, according to court records.

Stacy Kay Miller, 24, was arrested and charged Wednesday with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of the baby, who came to be known locally as Baby Boy Marshall. Bail was set at $75,000. Her next court appearance is July 8.

The baby was found dead in a toilet in the women's restroom at the Hy-Vee store on April 8, 2001. An autopsy showed the infant was born alive. About 100 people attended a funeral for the unknown baby at the city cemetery.

Miller has two other children, a son, 5, and a daughter, 2. She told police she had experienced heavy menstrual bleeding since her daughter's birth.

According to court documents, Miller told police on Tuesday she was seated on the toilet when she gave birth to the boy and that she did not try to remove him from the bowl.

She denied writing a letter found at her stepmother's home, where she lived until this past March, in which the writer said that once she realized the infant was in the toilet, she tried to help him, according to the documents.

"Nothing would help my baby breathe again and that is why I got scared and realized I had just killed my baby unintentionally," read the letter, which was addressed to whom it may concern and signed by the mother of Jordan Scott.

"If only I would have realized sooner that he was in there, then I believe that he would still be here today and I would have saved him in time," it said.

The writer said she didn't believe she could be forgiven, and that she had not forgotten the baby and prayed for him every night.

Miller's stepmother, Virginia Miller, contacted police this week and said she found the letter under the bed while cleaning out Stacy Miller's old room.

According to the complaint, Stacy Miller told police she hadn't told anyone about the baby except for one friend, who she claimed typed up the letter. The complaint said she told police the letter did summarize what she and her friend talked about.

The letter had some handwritten notes. Virginia Miller said she recognized them as Stacy Miller's writing.