Anne Mae Demegillo, a 20-year-old Florida woman, faces aggravated manslaughter of a child charges after allegedly giving birth to a live baby girl and allowing her to drown.
Incident Details
Early Friday morning, Demegillo experienced abdominal pain at her Flagler County home, delivered the infant into a toilet, and watched her drown without intervening, despite the baby being alive and crying at birth. She then placed the 3-pound, 6-ounce, 18-inch newborn in a duffel bag, hid it in a closet, performed in a college theater production of “Anything Goes” as “Virtue” in New Smyrna Beach, and later buried the body in a shallow backyard grave.
Investigation Response
Deputies arrived around 4 a.m. for a welfare check prompted by a 911 caller who received messages from Demegillo admitting the birth and implying harm to the infant. Demegillo claimed uncertainty about her pregnancy and insisted the baby was born dead, but evidence proved otherwise; she never sought medical help.
Official Reactions
Chief Deputy Joseph Barile described her interview demeanor as “oddly calm” with no remorse. Sheriff Rick Staly called it a “heartbreaking tragedy,” reminding the public of Florida’s safe haven laws allowing anonymous infant surrender at hospitals, fire stations, or police without repercussions.
