Melissa Drexler, who was nicknamed in the media as "The Prom Mom," is an American woman who, as a teenage high school student in 1997, delivered a baby in a restroom stall during her high school prom dance. The baby was later found dead in a trash bin, and Drexler pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, having put the infant in the trash can and then returned to the dance. She was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. After serving a little over three years, she was released on parole.
Melissa Drexler | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1978 (age 45–46) |
| Criminal charges | aggravated manslaughter |
| Criminal penalty | 15 years' imprisonment (37 months served) |
| Criminal status | Released |
Early life
editDrexler was an only child from a middle-class Catholic family[1] and lived in Forked River, New Jersey.[2] She attended Lacey Township High School in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey Township, New Jersey and had plans for a career in the fashion industry.[1]
Pregnancy
editDrexler kept her pregnancy secret from the baby's likely father John Lewis,[3] her parents and friends. At five feet seven inches (170 cm) tall, and about 130 pounds (59 kg), she apparently showed no signs of her pregnancy.[4] On June 6, 1997, Drexler gave birth in a bathroom stall at her senior prom, twenty minutes after complaining of stomach cramps in the car she had arrived in. She retrieved the baby from the toilet bowl, placed it in a plastic bag, and deposited it in a trash can. It is thought that she severed the umbilical cord on the serrated edge of a sanitary napkin dispenser and suffocated the child.[2] According to the prosecutor, a friend asked if she was all right, and she replied "I'll be done pretty soon. Go tell the boys we'll be right out." She then returned to the dance floor, ate a salad, and danced with her boyfriend. When Drexler and her friends were asked by teachers about the blood in the bathroom, she replied that she was having a heavy menstrual period. The baby was discovered in a trash bin by a janitor, after a school nurse cleaned the bloody bathroom stall, emptied the trash can, and became suspicious of the weight of the trash bag.[2][1]
Criminal proceedings
editAs part of a plea agreement, Drexler pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter on August 20, 1998.[5] As of 2011 court transcripts had not been released.[1] She was sentenced to 15 years in prison.[5] On November 26, 2001, she was freed on parole after serving three years and one month.[6]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c d Vickie Jensen (30 November 2011). Women Criminals: An Encyclopedia of People and Issues. ABC-CLIO. pp. 385–. ISBN 978-0-313-33713-0.
- ^ a b c Robert Hanley (25 June 1997). "New Jersey Charges Woman, 18, With Killing Baby Born at Prom". New York Times. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
- ^ Before Prom Night, a Suspect Was the Girl Next Door (The New York Times)
- ^ Barron, James (June 10, 1997). "Decision Whether to Charge Prom Mother Awaits Tests". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
- ^ a b Smothers, Ronald (August 21, 1998). "Guilty Plea By Mother, 20, In Prom Death". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 January 2010.
- ^ Lima, Paulo (24 November 2001). "Prom night baby-killer to be freed from prison". The Bergen County Record. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015. Retrieved 26 January 2010.