Pennsylvania man killed newborn after teen gave birth, officials say

ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. — Authorities say a Pennsylvania man strangled a newborn child delivered by a teenage girl he had sexually assaulted on numerous occasions and hid the baby’s body in a safe.

Lawrence County authorities say 38-year-old Christopher Lee Kennedy, who has no known address, faces numerous counts. He was arrested Wednesday and It wasn’t known Thursday if he’s retained an attorney.

Authorities say the girl was 15 when she became pregnant with Kennedy’s child. She gave birth in October 2017. Police said Kennedy strangled the baby and put it in a bag, then hid the bag in a safe.

The body was found several weeks later after the teen was admitted to the hospital for serious complications related to the birth. Authorities say she initially claimed to have killed the baby, but later told them Kennedy had done it.

While it’s unclear when the teen got pregnant, police said she had several conversations with Kennedy about terminating the pregnancy and made several attempts. The girl admitted she tried to end the pregnancy by taking vitamins and herbal supplements that were known to cause pregnancy complications and premature labor.

The girl claimed that a couple months before the child was born, she and Kennedy began devising ways to end the pregnancy. They also allegedly agreed that if she miscarried, she would say that the baby was not his.