Newborn Baby Strangled, Beaten To Death, Mother Gets Life Sentence

A Wisconsin mother who strangled her newborn baby to death was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday.

The incident happened in 2019. The mother, Marylinn A Feher, 24, pleaded guilty to first-degree intentional homicide in the death of her newborn son, Zacharia, on Sept. 30. Feher was sentenced to life by Wood County Circuit Court on Wednesday.

Allen L. Rice, the baby's father, has been charged with child neglect resulting in death and obstructing an officer during the investigation. He is scheduled for a plea hearing on Dec. 11.

Wood County District Attorney Craig Lambert told the court that Feher delivered the baby while using the toilet. She then strangled the baby and hit his head several times on the toilet, reported local news outlet Marshfield News Herald.

Police started an investigation after the Marshfield Medical Center reported a possible missing newborn on April 6, 2019. Feher sought medical help at the hospital after she had severe bleeding. She did not admit to the doctors that she had delivered a baby.

Rice told the police that he did not know about the delivery when they first confronted him at the hospital parking lot. The police searched his car and found the baby alive, wrapped in towels in a tied plastic garbage bag in the back of the vehicle. Rice then told police that he lied because he was afraid and believed that the baby was stillborn.

The baby was rushed to the hospital but did not survive his injuries. The autopsy report showed head injury and strangulation were the cause of his death.

The couple later told police that they had heard a noise coming from the back of the vehicle as they drove to the hospital after the delivery. Rice said he had heard a burp sound when he performed CPR on the baby.

"In all my years, this is one of the most horrible cases I've dealt with," Lambert said.

Feher kept her head down and chose not to make a statement during the sentencing. She was reportedly sobbing throughout the proceedings. Michael Covey, Feher's attorney, told the court that she was embarrassed and sad about what she had done. He added that Feher wanted to take full responsibility for her actions and make it clear that Rice did not kill the baby.