Jordyn Kauffman, Pennsylvania woman leaves newborn to die in field before going to work as 20-year-old now faces first degree murder.
A 20-year-old Pennsylvania woman fearing she’d be ‘kicked out’ if she admitted giving childbirth instead abandoned her newborn baby in a field where it was later found dead.
Jordyn Lynn Kauffman of McVeytown, Mifflin County, come Tuesday, May 26, was charged with first-degree murder in connection with her daughter’s death earlier this month, according to charging documents.
The 20-year-old also faces charges including aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of children, abuse of a corpse, concealing the death of a child and recklessly endangering another person.
20-year-old held her newborn for 30 minutes before abandoning her in nearby field
Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) began their investigation into Kauffman’s case after receiving a call on May 15 from Lewistown Geisinger Hospital about a baby left out in the field, according to charging documents filed in Magisterial District Judge Kent Smith’s office, cited by Penn Live.
Kauffman went to the hospital the day after the birth for treatment for afterbirth bleeding, according to the outlet. While she reportedly denied having been pregnant at first, she later admitted to troopers to giving birth at around 9:30 a.m. the day prior while sitting on a chair in her house, WJAC reported.
She cut her umbilical cord and held the baby — which was later determined to have been a girl — for about 30 minutes before taking her out into a field and leaving her there according to charging documents.
The temperature outside that day had a high of 49 degrees and a low of 44 degrees, according to WHTM.
Troopers searching for the child in the field found the newborn dead. She was found about 50 feet from the Kauffman’s front door, with blood on her face, arms and chest and multiple bug bites on her body according to charging documents.
An autopsy later confirmed that the child had been born alive.
20-year-old mom admitted she knew what she was doing was wrong
After Kauffman took her baby outside, she went back inside and subsequently left for work. She told police that she knew what she did was wrong, but she did not want her father to find out that she had a baby for fear he’d kick her out.
Documents also revealed Kauffman missing several appointments related to her pregnancy, including a scheduled induction, in the months leading up to the birth, telling staff at the hospital that she did not want to be pregnant.
She allegedly told troopers she did not go through with an abortion because ‘she felt like she procrastinated so long it was too late.’
A Lewistown Geisinger Hospital worker told police that he had spoken to Kauffman on the phone when she was around 39 weeks pregnant about the Safe Haven law [which allows parents to legally and anonymously surrender unharmed newborn infants up to 28 days old to designated professionals] and other resources, but she declined any help.
Kauffman remains held without bail and is scheduled to make a preliminary hearing for May 27.
