Parents Arrested Over Child’s Death – United States

The parents were arrested in the US state of Pennsylvania over the death of their newborn son, the prosecutor’s office said, quoted by BTV.

Amy Hoenigke, 34, and her husband, Drew Hoenigke, 31, were charged with manslaughter. According to investigators, the couple did not take the child to the hospital because they did not believe in modern medicine.

A family friend, Bridget Mekes, 47, was also arrested. According to investigators, she witnessed the birth of the baby at home.

The case dates back to January 14 of this year.

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Police say they received a phone call on January 20 from the mother who said she had found her son dead in the playpen.

Upon arrival, authorities determined the child had died about three days before they received the report.

“An infuser and a container of burnt herbs” were found next to the child’s bed.

Amy Hoenigke told investigators her son began showing signs of difficulty breathing after birth, but “turned blue” shortly after.

Prosecutors say the parents tried to restore the child’s breathing using a peppermint oil infuser and tried to make a makeshift breathing tube out of a water bottle.

When investigators asked why she didn’t take the baby to a medical facility, she said she and her husband didn’t believe in modern medicine and lived an unconventional lifestyle that didn’t recognize times or days of the week. The couple feared authorities would take their 2-year-old daughter away. The baby was also born in the house and has no birth certificate.

A handcrafted wooden coffin was also found at their home, but Drew Hoenigke said they couldn’t bury the child themselves because the ground was frozen.