Teen gets probation in trashed-baby case

MANTI — A 17-year-old girl who claimed she gave birth to a stillborn child and put the body into a trash container has been sentenced to probation.

The girl originally was charged with desecration of a human body, a third-degree felony, but that was changed to obstruction of justice, a class A misdemeanor.

Sixth District Juvenile Court Judge Paul Lyman also ordered the girl to get therapy. She is prohibited from dating anyone 19 or older while on probation and must complete 150 hours of community service.

The girl told investigators she gave birth to a stillborn child and threw the body into a trash container. Police conducted an extensive search of the landfill but never located any remains.

Given these circumstances, it was impossible to determine whether the child was in fact born dead or alive, which for legal purposes, could have had significant ramifications for the teenager's case.

"The Sanpete County Attorney's Office anticipated potential legal challenges to its prosecution due to the state's failure to locate the remains of the fetus. Without the fetal remains, a prolonged legal dispute loomed," prosecutors said in a statement released Wednesday.

A charge of "obstruction of justice" would function as a means of achieving the prosecutor's goals without lengthy court proceedings, the statement said.

Deputy Summit County attorney Brody Keisel previously said he hoped the case would go forward primarily so the girl would be required to get the counseling that she clearly needed.

— Linda Thomson