Daughter of MLB pitcher is accused of abandoning her new child in woods | EUROtoday

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Sitting in a tent one chilly Christmas evening, Alexandra Eckersley complained that she felt a stabbing ache in her abdomen.

Her boyfriend with whom she shared the tent, George Theberge, gave her medication in a bid to treatment her misery.

But no quantity of Ibuprofen would alleviate Eckersley ache: she was going into labor.

The 27-year-old gave start in the midst of the woods in Manchester, New Hampshire, on December 25, 2022, as temperatures plummeted to 15F.

Covered in blood, Eckersley requested Theberge, 46, to examine the newborn’s pulse: the pair say they thought that the new child was useless.

After main first responders on a wild goose chase round a baseball discipline, a police officer finally discovered the newborn “cold, blue” and “covered in blood,” a court docket heard.

There was one other shock: the toddler was additionally alive.

Edward Eckersley – or Teddy to his household – is now 19-months-old and residing together with his mother and grandmother, Eckersley’s protection lawyer Kim Kossick mentioned in her closing argument on Wednesday.

July 25 marked the beginning of Eckersley’s trial at Hillsborough Superior Court the place she pleaded not responsible to fees of assault, reckless conduct, falsifying proof and endangering the welfare of a kid.

Proceedings lasted 4 days, being wrapped up on Wednesday throughout which the prosecution referred to as two law enforcement officials, an EMT, a nurse, a physician and 911 dispatcher to the stand as witnesses.

The protection referred to as two witnesses: an skilled in scientific and forensic psychology, whereas Eckersley stood in her personal protection. On Friday, the jury discovered her not responsible of two counts of second-degree assault however responsible of reckless conduct and endangering the welfare of a kid.

Baseball and ‘broken hearts’

Eckersley is the adopted daughter of multi-millionaire baseball Hall of Famer, Dennis Eckersley. The Boston Red Sox star is without doubt one of the finest closing pitchers in main league historical past.

Alexandra – who the household affectionately consult with as Ally – was adopted by ‘Eck’ and his second spouse Nancy at start.

Eckersley was first recognized with psychological well being circumstances on the age of two. By six, she often visited varied psychiatric services for behavioral points.

At the age of 13, she was sexually assaulted by one of many boys on the centre, the court docket heard.

She had seen “countless therapists, doctors, psychiatrists, neurologists and child health advocates,” the household instructed Concord Monitor in 2019 in a joint assertion.

By 2018, she grew to become homeless and commenced residing in a wooded space behind a closed liquor retailer on Storrs Street in Concord. Eckersley struggled with habit and different psychological well being points.

“Our hearts are broken. Unfortunately, in her situation, the issue is less about homelessness and more about mental illness,” the household added.

Forensic scientist Dr Matilde Pelaprat, the protection’s first witness, examined Eckersley’s medical data and described her as one of the advanced psychological well being instances she’d seen.

Labor pains

Eckersley and Theberge had no cash, no meals and no warmth after they ran out of propane gasoline on Christmas eve.

In the times earlier than going into labor in 2022, Eckersley had been utilizing cocaine and marijuna, in line with an affidavit obtained by WCVB.

After receiving $200 from her mom by way of a money app, the pair spent it on Chinese takeout and, later, her abdomen started inflicting her grief.

Eckersley gave start after complaining to Theberge of ache that felt like a “knife stabbing into my stomach,” the court docket heard, as she stood in her personal protection.

She solely realized she was going into labor “when the baby came out of me,” she instructed Kossick forward of closing arguments on Wednesday.

Eckersley testified that she didn’t take a look at the newborn as Theberge “said there was no pulse”.

The Manchester lady was bleeding and makes an attempt to name for assist have been futile as they couldn’t get any mobile phone sign, the court docket heard.

The couple left the new child to fend for itself in the midst of the woods throughout sub-freezing circumstances as they went on the hunt for assist.

Eckersley claimed to by no means have thought to deliver the newborn with them, telling her lawyer that “I thought he was dead”.

“Ally had no no clue what was happening,” Kossick mentioned.

On the journey, she expelled the placenta, with Eckersley believing the bloody afterbirth was a miscarriage of a second little one, in line with the lawyer.

After lastly discovering sign away from her camp and ringing a 911 dispatcher, an ambulance arrived.

Finding the toddler

On the decision, Eckersely had omitted one other key piece of knowledge: the newborn was crying when it was born. Police have been underneath the impression that the newborn was useless.

She additionally didn’t reveal the exact location of the toddler.

“She told me she didn’t know where the baby was. She said that it was somewhere in the middle of the woods and wasn’t sure exactly where,” Officer William Collins testified.

Prosecutor Alexander Gatzoulis mentioned Eckersley deliberately led first responders to a unique location in a bid to keep away from getting in bother for mentioning that the newborn had stirred after its start.

Eckersley admitted it was “correct” when Gatzoulis asserted to her that she “did not tell them where the baby was”.

“Essentially what you were telling them is that they could stop searching and you would get back to them if you found the baby,” the prosecutor added.

Gatzoulis mentioned in his opening assertion that she purposely misled first responders round a baseball discipline in freezing circumstances.

Eckersley mentioned she was frightened of Theberge, who instructed her to not reveal the placement of the tent, and admitted to creating statements to the police she knew to be unfaithful.

Eventually, police discovered the newborn close to the Piscataquag River at Electric Street.

Authorities found the little boy mendacity there unclothed and affected by hypothermia, struggling to breathe, in line with the Manchester Fire Department.

“It’s here. Yeah, it’s here. It’s still moving,” one officer might be heard saying in physique cam footage shared with the court docket.

The child was transported to Catholic Medical Center the place he acquired remedy, receiving gentle warming and CPR, Dr Brigid Linnan testified on the witness stand. Teddy weighed simply 4 kilos.

“Allie did not commit a crime. She did not behave recklessly. She did not behave purposely,” Defense Attorney Jordan Strand mentioned.

A sentencing date has not but been set.

Teddy’s life now could be far totally different from his start. When requested about her son, Eckersley instructed that court docket that simply that morning “he was walking around, giggling and laughing.”