A Nebraska woman has been found guilty of illegally providing her daughter with an abortion, and then burning and burying the remains of her grandchild.
Under a plea agreement, Jessica Burgess, 42, of Norfolk, admitted to providing an abortion after 20 weeks of gestation, false reporting and tampering with human skeletal remains. Charges of concealing the death of another person and abortion by someone other than a licensed physician were dismissed.
Burgess was accused of helping her then-17-year-old daughter, Celeste Burgess, kill her child, Jessica’s grandchild. Madison County District Court documents show she ordered abortion pills on the internet.
Charges such as concealing the death of another person and abortion by someone other than a licensed physician were dismissed.
The incident occurred when then-17-year-old Celeste Burgess allegedly killed her baby with help from her mother, Jessica Burgess.
Documents from Madison County District Court showed that she had ordered abortion pills off the internet in order to terminate the pregnancy.
Afterward, they burned and buried the remains in a field north of Norfolk in northeastern Nebraska where authorities later retrieved it upon investigation.
Madison County Attorney Joe Smith declared that this case is his first time charging somebody for performing an illegal abortion after 20 weeks since 2010 when restrictions on late-term abortions were passed.
Republican Governor Jim Pillen signed a 12-week ban on abortions back in May this year.
Jessica Burgess will face sentencing on September 22nd while felony charges are pending against her alongside one misdemeanor charge. Celeste Burgess who is now 18 years old recently pleaded guilty in May to removing, concealing or abandoning a dead body which carries up to two years imprisonment during sentencing set for July 20th.
Court documents further revealed Facebook messages between mother and daughter discussing plans on killing the baby along with destroying evidence regarding it.
Details included how Celeste “can’t wait to get the ‘thing’ out of [her] body” as well as how she “will finally be able to wear jeans” afterward according to their talks through social media messaging platforms which law enforcers acquired using search warrants provided by court orders
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.
