The death of a baby who was decapitated during birth at an Atlanta-area hospital has been ruled a homicide.
Newborn Treveon Taylor’s death was caused by the “actions of another person” during his complicated birth on July 9, the Clayton County Medical Examiner’s office said Tuesday.
His mother, Jessica Ross, 20, experienced complications when she went into labor at Southern Regional Medical Center in Riverdale, according to a lawsuit she and the baby’s father filed in August.
While giving birth, the baby stopped descending because of shoulder dystocia — meaning the baby’s shoulders could not fit through the pelvic area, according to the lawsuit.
With the baby stuck in the vaginal canal, a doctor allegedly performed a cesarean section too late, putting “excessive tension” on the baby’s head and causing it to detach from the body.
The lawsuit alleges that the doctor — identified as Dr. Tracey St. Julian — did not tell the mother and father about the decapitation and refused to let them hold the baby after his death.
Hospital staff also allegedly showed the parents the baby wrapped tightly in a blanket with his head propped on top.
The hospital’s staff is also accused of telling the couple an autopsy wasn’t necessary and pressuring them to cremate the baby’s remains.
In the lawsuit, the parents claim they were not aware of the decapitation until they received a phone call from the funeral home, where staff were bewildered as to why they received a decapitated baby from a hospital and not the medical examiner’s office or law enforcement.
“I just felt a sense of urgency to say, hey listen, this is not right, this is not right. Never seen it before,” Manager of Willie A. Watkins Funeral Home Sylvania Watkins told the outlet in August.
“With the body and the head being detached, we should have retrieved this body from the coroner’s office. When that did not happen, that’s when I said we need to reach out and back up and do it right,” Watkins added.
The funeral home then informed the medical examiner’s office of the deceased baby’s condition, prompting an investigation soon after.
The medical examiner’s office also said pregnancy-induced diabetes and premature rupture of membranes contributed to the newborn’s death.
The hospital said in August it was unable to discuss the care and treatment of patients due to HIPAA laws.
“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the family and all those impacted by this tragic event. Our prayers also remain with the dedicated team of physicians, nurses and staff at Southern Regional Medical Center who cared for this patient,” the hospital said in a statement.
“While our sympathies go out to the family, Southern Regional Medical Center denies the allegations in the Complaint referencing the hospital. Since this matter is in litigation, we cannot provide additional statements. As far as Dr. St Julian, she is not an employee of the hospital. The hospital has taken the appropriate steps in response to this unfortunate situation.”
The Clayton County Medical Examiner’s Office said it will be up to the district attorney whether formal charges relating to the homicide investigation will be filed.
