Two individuals from Illinois are facing charges following the discovery of a newborn’s body, as confirmed by local authorities.

On December 5, Nicole Pokrzywa, 36, and William Cosmen, 38, were apprehended and reportedly provided self-incriminating statements during police interviews, announced the Will County Sheriff’s Office in their official statement.

According to the sheriff’s office, Pokrzywa is accused of giving birth to a baby girl in October 2024 in the Village of Manhattan.

The investigation prompted crime scene experts to inspect a Wilmington property on December 5 after receiving a tip about a potentially buried infant. The press release did not clarify whether the baby was born alive or deceased.

Law enforcement revealed that detectives discovered the infant’s grave marked by a significant rock. After conducting interviews and gathering supporting information, they obtained a search warrant for the property, according to the December 6 announcement.

At the site, investigators located the infant’s body—wrapped in a plastic bag and cloth—inside an apparent box for Old Style beer, per law enforcement for Will County, whose coroner’s office was then summoned and took possession of the body.

“The pathologist concluded that the age of the female infant child was between 22 to 27 weeks old,” the statement revealed. “Additional testing of biological materials removed from the female infant is needed due to the level of decomposition of the deceased.”

During their interviews with detectives, Pokrzywa and Cosmen allegedly both stated that she had given birth into a toilet, followed by his unsuccessful attempt to dispose of the body by forcing the body down the drain with a plunger, per the press release. 

Authorities alleged the two confessed to leaving the newborn’s body in the toilet overnight, before transporting the body to the Wilmington property, where they buried the body in a three-feet wide, four-feet deep hole. 

Pokrzywa and Cosmen have both been charged with one count of desecration of a corpse. The Will County State’s Attorney’s Office said they’ll provide updates, including upcoming court date details, when they become available.