Cassidy Goodson, 14, has been charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse.
A 14-year-old is accused of choking her newborn to death while the baby was still attached to her by the umbilical cord. Cassidy Goodson of Lakeland, Fla., is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, according to the Ledger. Goodson gave birth to a boy in the bathroom of her home on Sept. 19, ABC News reports.
Police say the high school freshman ultimately used scissors to pry the baby out of her body and into the toilet. Lifting the baby out of the toilet, Goodson "placed her hands on the infant's neck and squeezed until he wasn't moving or breathing any longer," according to a statement released by Polk County Sheriff's Office on Friday. Goodson allegedly killed the child because she "didn't know what to do with it," officials told WTSP. Goodson had reportedly been wearing baggy clothes to hide from her family that she was pregnant. Two aunts suspected the teen was pregnant, but the girl's mother, Teresa Goodson, "was in complete denial," Sheriff Grady Judd told the Ledger.
As evidence that she wasn't pregnant, Cassidy Goodson had shown her mother two home pregnancy tests that turned up negative. However, the teen had conducted the tests completely alone.
Three days after the birth, the Sheriff's Office received a call reporting that Teresa Goodson, Cassidy Goodson's mother, had found a dead baby inside a shoe box in her home. Teresa Goodson said she found the body when she noticed an odor coming from her daughter's bedroom.
Judd believes that Cassidy Goodson's young age should be taken into account. "Let's remember she is a child," he said. "Where was her support system?"
Officials are considering charging adults who may have known about the pregnancy and kept it a secret. Prosecutors are have not yet decided whether to charge Cassidy Goodson as an adult.
Investigators are currently trying to determine the baby's father.
And they say were living in the 'best of times'. Poor girl, I cant help feeling sorry. We live in a world where its all about sex, drugs and rock & roll, its thrown in our faces daily and unfortunately she's a victim of the ills of society...a society which has degraded beyond belief.
I think the part of prying him with scissors then choking him is what bothered me most. Callous.. she could have just dropped him somewhere they have programs where you can just drop them no questions asked.. it is unbelievable
Come speak to me about how we 'hate their freedoms'
I'm sorry but am I the only one that feel sorry for that poor baby? Poor girl? I do t think so, she knew what she was doing if she old enough to have sex and murder her baby then she can go be trailed as adult. She could have drop the baby at church or hospital but she choose to murder.
I don't feel sorry for her she was callous prying him out with scissors and choking him? We're supposed to relate or sympathize with that?
They're reaping the fruits of a morally degenerate society old enough for sex but not old enough for the responsibility and I assure you she could have just dropped him off at any hospital no questions asked!
No value for human life none whatsoever!
Bi ayyi dhambin qutilat? The child will ask on yaumal qiyaamah . "For which sin is it that I was killed for? I feel sorry for the girl,she was demonic to do that to a living being,pure wickedness, al- aynu bil ayni an eye for an eye
It seems more prevalent and that it bothers people less or for some reason people tend to feel sympathy for the perpetrator rather than the helpless victim... I have known people to have walked the streets in a haze after losing their children to an accident or whatever and others pry them out with scissors apparently like a drain clog that needs to go to the garbage!
Text without context is pretext If your opponent is of choleric temperament, seek to irritate him
It seems more prevalent and that it bothers people less or for some reason people tend to feel sympathy for the perpetrator rather than the helpless victim... I have known people to have walked the streets in a haze after losing their children to an accident or whatever and others pry them out with scissors apparently like a drain clog that needs to go to the garbage!
I wonder if it is really more prevalent or if we are just more aware of it because of our modern fast-reporting media?
The way this girl killed her baby bothers me too. There is something very cruel and hard-hearted about it.
On the other hand I wonder whether, if she had people in her live who would have supported her; not judged her for her teenage pregnancy, but helped her to find a solution, told her about other options (such as adoption) and gave her the hope that life goes on after being a teenage mother - whether she would not have taken such a drastic step.
I can't help but feel deeply sad for such a young girl now on the road of imprisonment and being looked upon as a monster by society .... when deep down there might be a young and confused girl crying out for help.
Peace glo
Here I stand.
I can do no other.
May God help me.
Amen.
Come, let us worship and bow down •
and kneel before the Lord our Maker
[Psalm 95]
the girl is deeply deeply disturbed. she has issues. my 6 year old niece couldnt get herself to do that and this girl is 14. I realise family issues are involved but lets not make this an excuse or we'll accept far too many similar tragedies where we are sympathetic to the culprit.
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My tears testify that i have a heart
yet i feel me and shaytan never part
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More prevelant on the account of more people populating the earth and society being more allowing!
I don't feel sorry for her- I have seen African societies where young girls beat on rocks, carry chores for others, their parents are dead and of course no schooling and they wouldn't dream of doing this. I am supposed to sympathize with an effete callous murderer because someone decided she's a child? Was she a child when she screwed around? Pregnancies don't result from rapes!
The I am sorry let's make excuses for her is what perpetuates this and makes it common place when it's an abomination - honestly turn on your tv sometimes and watch how the other half lives before suggesting a better support system!
I think if we keep repeating some ideas , eventually they will stick. Most films or books present any monster with bad upbringing, and force the audience to sympathies with him/her.If everyone who had a traumatic childhood turned into a killer, then we are seriously in trouble.
In regards to this article, I don’t understand how people forget that, this girl, had unprotected sex, kept the pregnancy and the article reminding us "Let's remember she is a child," one word spring to mind “sympathy, sympathy”
I sympathies with the baby, this girl was old enough to have sex but not old enough to know killing is wrong.
Save the moral preaching for Judgment Day. It won't bring back the baby to life, and it won't prevent things like this from happening in the future. There is already an overwhelming consensus that killing babies (well, born ones anyway) is massively evil, and even the decadent West agrees on that, so being mutually outraged about it and letting everyone know how outraged we are changes absolutely nothing.
Girls like this need help. Not because they deserve it, but because of the baby. Had she had a more supportive environment, it's likely that one more baby would be alive today.
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