Woman arrested after newborn found dead under bucket

SMITH COUNTY, Texas — A woman was arrested in Texas over the weekend after her newborn baby was reportedly found dead under a bucket in a backyard.

>> Read more trending news

The Smith County Sheriff’s Office was called out just after 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 15 to a house near Tyler, Texas for a dead baby. Once officers arrived, they went into the backyard where they found a bucket over the remains which were wrapped in a towel, according to WCAV.

The sheriff’s office identified the baby’s mother as Jazzlyn Nukenya Cooper-Holmes, 23, according to the news outlet.

Police said Cooper-Holmes gave birth to a baby on March 12 around 4 p.m. in her house in Lindale, Texas. According to an arrest affidavit obtained by KLTV, Cooper-Holmes was reportedly prepared for giving birth. She had ordered some bedsheets, feminine hygiene items, and some medication.

Cooper-Holmes gave birth to the baby while she was standing over the toilet. She said that she looked at the baby once before she wrapped it in a brown towel and put it in a bucket, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KLTV. Cooper-Holmes reportedly said she then placed the bucket behind the trailer. She said checked on it once before bed and then never checked on it again.

The baby’s body has been sent for an autopsy, according to WCAV.

According to the Smith County judicial records obtained by WCAV, Cooper-Holmes was arrested on Saturday and charged with abuse of a corpse without legal authority and is being held on a $1 million bond.