A young woman accused of hiding the body of her newborn son after his death has been sentenced to eight years in the Adams County Community Corrections system.
During that time, Melinda Hudson, 25, will receive therapy and substance abuse treatment, according to the Adams County district attorney’s office.
The baby was found dead in a bag in the basement of Hudson’s home on March 10 by Hudson’s father.
With her parents accompanying her, Hudson turned herself in to Westminster police shortly after the child was discovered.
The child was born at or near full term in October 2009, according to the Adams County district attorney’s office. The cause of death and whether the baby was born dead or alive could not be determined by the Adams County coroner’s office.
Hudson pleaded guilty to criminally negligent child abuse causing death.
The remains of the child were in a soft-sided suitcase containing various items of clothing, towels and paper towels. The coroner’s report also indicated that there were different kinds of trash in the suitcase including fast food containers and other “debris” including dead insects.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
