BUNNELL, Fla. (Court TV) — A woman accused of killing her newborn and burying it in her backyard has asked for a judge to grant her bond, citing her mental health.
Anne Mae Demegillo appeared in court on April 7, 2026. (Court TV)
Anne Demegillo, 21, has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and failure to report a death with the intention to conceal. At her first appearance in court last week, Judge Dawn Nichols ordered the defendant to be held in jail without bond.
The child, identified only as a female infant weighing 3.6 pounds, was found in a shallow grave after officers brushed away dirt and saw a small human leg. Demegillo allegedly admitted to officers that she gave birth in her bathroom on March 5 and watched the infant move in the toilet with its “head partially submerged” until it stopped moving and crying.
Demegillo’s attorneys filed several motions with the Court, including one seeking to suppress the statements she made to investigators, saying that any admissions or confessions were “obtained illegally and contrary to law.”
Another motion asks Nichols to grant Demegillo a $250,000 bond. The motion notes that the defendant has no prior criminal record, has surrendered her passport and has no means of access to money. Most significantly, the motion also says, “It is a preliminary opinion that the Defendant, Anne Demegillo, suffers from severe postpartum psychosis and/or depression, as well as other mental issues.”
Demegillo’s attorneys also submitted a motion to dismiss the charges in their entirety, arguing that the information filed by prosecutors is insufficient and ambiguous, and that it should be tossed.
Demegillo is due to return to court for a hearing on the motions and her arraignment on April 21.
