A Tennessee man is behind bars after authorities say he threw a newborn baby in a dumpster. The baby, who was the child of a teen girl the man had allegedly raped, was found dead by responding officers.
According to the Memphis Police Department (MPD), on the morning of January 27, James Boothe Jr., 45, was driving the 16-year-old girl to the hospital to give birth, but the baby arrived en route. Instead of continuing the journey or calling for help, Boothe pulled over into a gas station, placed the baby in a bag, and threw the bag in a dumpster.
Authorities responded to the gas station after receiving a call about suspicious activity. Surveillance video provided by the owner of the gas station captured Boothe throwing a black trash bag into the dumpster; when it was recovered, the newborn’s lifeless body was inside. Boothe was arrested the next day.
After the incident, the girl told MPD she and Boothe had been in a “relationship” for three years. Though he was initially held on a charge of abuse of a corpse, he may face additional charges in the coming days, including a charge of rape of a child. Authorities have yet to release any information as to exactly how or when the infant died. The girl was also taken to the hospital, where she was reportedly in non-critical condition.
According to Fox13, Boothe has an extensive criminal record, including a conviction of second-degree murder in 1995.
Following the incident, officials are reminding people of the state’s safe haven law, which allows a parent to safely surrender an infant after birth if the parent feels unable to care for the child. In Tennessee, the mother can surrender a newborn up to two weeks after birth without facing charges. Designated safe haven facilities include hospitals and staffed fire stations, police departments, or emergency medical services facilities.
