Mom accused of burying newborn in backyard indicted on corpse charge

A grand jury has indicted Ashley Wilkins on an abuse of a corpse charge, according to Mobile County Asst. District Attorney Jennifer Wright.

About a month ago, Wilkins, of Mobile, Ala., turned herself in for allegedly burying her newborn baby in the backyard of a home on Swansea Drive in Mobile. Today, Wright said the baby was 5 days old, but it is still unclear as to whether the baby girl was alive when she was born.

Even though District Judge Joe Basenburg ruled today that burying the baby did not constitute an abuse of a corpse charge, the district attorney's office said a grand jury came down with an indictment on the charge anyway.

Wright said, "I think that this decision was by the citizens of Mobile County, and we think it's important that not only this charge was handed down by the Mobile County Grand Jury, but this be heard and decided by Mobile County jurors as to the guilt or not guilty verdict of Ashley Wilkins. It should be decided by a jury and that's what we stated today in court."

The assistant district attorney also said now that Wilkins is being indicted, she will face a different judge.

Wilkins' lawyer, Jeff Deen, said he agreed with the previous judge's ruling that Wilkins is not responsible for abusing a corpse.

"This young lady has gone through a very traumatic experience having a stillborn child," said Deen, "somebody that has a stillborn child, and is not thinking correctly and goes out and buries it, that's not abuse of a corpse."

Abuse of a corpse is a class C felony. Wilkins is being held on $3,000 bond. Officials are waiting an autopsy and toxicology report.
Wilkins will face a different judge in the circuit court the second time around.