An Ohio woman has confessed to killing her newborn baby and enlisting the help of her 19-year-old daughter to dispose of the baby’s body. The mother, Basma Abdul Karim Alkelezli, said she killed the baby boy because the baby would have meant “more expenses.”
Alkelezli and her daughter, Hana Ahmad Al Jabouli, are both accused of killing the baby, who was reportedly born on September 20. That same day, according to The Blaze, Al Jabouli called 911 because her mother was “not waking up.” Paramedics responded to the home and noticed that Alkelezli had recently given birth, but could not locate a baby in the home. Alkelezli had apparently cut the umbilical cord and was bleeding excessively.
According to The Columbus Dispatch, officers discovered the baby in the trunk of a vehicle. A detective and a sergeant attempted life-saving measures, but the baby was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The coroner’s office found that he had been born alive and healthy before he was killed.
WCMH-TV reported that Alkelezli did not look at him before she put him in a plastic trash bag and then told Al Jabouli to dispose of him. Al Jabouli then put the bag inside a five-gallon bucket and put it in the trunk of a car in the family’s backyard. Al Jabouli admitted she could hear him crying from inside the bag.
“[Alkelezli] stated that they were moving homes and the baby would have been more expenses,” said Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Cory Helffrich.
Both Alkelezli and Al Jabouli were arrested on September 22 for suspicion of infanticide, with Alkelezli ultimately being charged with aggravated murder, murder, involuntary manslaughter, strangulation, two counts of endangering children, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse. Al Jabouli is charged with aggravated murder, murder, strangulation, endangering children, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and obstructing justice.
Both mother and daughter have pleaded not guilty, but also each confessed to killing the baby. They are both being held at Franklin County jail with Alkelezli’s bond set at $2 million and Al Jabouli’s bond set at $1 million.
Every state has a safe haven law that allows parents to anonymously surrender babies of a certain age at a safe location such as a police station, hospital, or fire department. Under Ohio’s safe haven law, a parent can bring their baby who is not older than 30 days to specific persons —including a hospital employee, an emergency medical service worker, or a peace officer — and surrender the child, no questions asked. The parent can also call 9-1-1 and await the arrival of an officer who can take possession of the baby.
