Terica Pearl Alabama mom charged with strangling 1 year old daughter, Blessence Pearl then dumping her body in a hearse at West Gadsden funeral home.
An Alabama mother is accused of murdering her 1 year old baby and then dumping the girl’s body into the back of a hearse parked outside a funeral home.
Terica Pearl, 29, of Gadsden was arrested after her daughter Blessence Pearl’s body was found Saturday by an employee at West Gadsden Funeral Home when someone reported what they thought was a doll inside a hearse, WSAW reported.
Upon a closer inspection, the funeral home employee discovered that what was thought to be a human doll was instead the body of the discarded one year old infant child.
Blessence’s remains were found strangulated with a ‘thick robe string,’ according to court records obtained by WBRC.
While it remained unclear how the child’s body came to be placed inside the hearse, funeral director Dantez Robinson said it was usually left unlocked.
Robinson said he would make sure Blessence got a proper burial.
‘Whoever this family is, whoever done this, we’re going to bury this baby,’ he said.
‘We’re going to give this baby the proper burial. To have life taken so early, we’re going to stand up and bury this baby.’
The child’s mother was arrested by Gadsden police on Sunday and charged with capital murder.
Blessence was only a few months away from turning two.
Not immediately clear is why the mother strangled her own daughter and how she came to the idea to dump the girl’s body in a hearse.
Pearl is being held in Etowah County Jail without bond.
Authorities have asked anyone with information on the case to come forward.
