Mother of baby found in Enid trash bin charged with murder
ENID — An Enid woman accused of throwing her newborn baby in a dumpster was charged Thursday with second-degree murder.
The Garfield County district attorney amended the charges Thursday against Kathryn Green, 26, to include second-degree murder and unauthorized disposal of a corpse.
She had been previously charged with child neglect, possession of methamphetamine and obstructing an officer.
According to a court affidavit, two men who agreed to clean up a woman's property in exchange for a place to stay grew suspicious when they were told to stay away from a trunk.
Around 2:30 a.m. on April 9, police received a phone call from John Brauner and Andrew Cline who reported that "things were strange" and they thought a "baby had been thrown in a dumpster," according to the affidavit.
When detectives arrived at the residence in the 1600 block of S 2, they found an infant's body.
DNA testing later confirmed that the newborn's mother was Green, who had warned the men to avoid the trunk.
On Monday, the state medical examiner determined that the infant died from methamphetamine toxicity and that death was a homicide.
Brauner told police Green was acting paranoid and made comments that she worried the neighbors would report her for "killing her child" and that "what was inside the box could send her to prison for life," the court affidavit states.
Officers responding to the call found the trunk inside a black trash bag in a dumpster outside the house. Inside the trunk was a sealed black trash sack that contained the deceased baby. Detectives noted that the newborn was fully developed, still had the umbilical cord attached and showed some signs of decomposition. The medical examiner later determined that the baby had been carried nearly to full term and weighed 5 pounds, 6 ounces.
Police said Green and her three other children were located, and Green's family drove her to the police station. When officers interviewed Green, she attempted to conceal methamphetamine in her body cavities, the court affidavit states. Investigators served a search warrant at Green's property where she lived with her children and observed that the residence was "unsanitary and unfit for the children," a police news release states.
Investigators found a large machete lying on the back porch, a knife, a bottle of alcohol, prescription medication, soiled mattresses, an open electrical outlet and other unsanitary materials easily accessible to the children, according to police.
While in custody, Green was committed to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services on May 15 for care and treatment after a court found her incompetent, court records show.
If convicted on the murder charge, Green could face a punishment of 10 years to life in prison.