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A college student from Florida has been arrested and charged with murder after allegedly allowing her newborn baby to drown in a toilet following an unexpected birth. Authorities have also discovered images of Casey Anthony, infamously known as “America’s most hated mom,” on the student’s phone, according to police reports.
Anne Mae Demegillo, 20, faced a grand jury on Monday and was indicted on multiple serious charges, including first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and failing to report a death with the intention of concealing it or altering related evidence. This information was reported by FOX 13.
Investigators revealed that Demegillo’s phone contained photos of Casey Anthony, who was acquitted in 2011 of charges related to the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. The case surrounding Caylee’s death remains unsolved and has drawn significant public attention over the years.
Initially, Demegillo was arrested in March on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child, linked to the tragic death of her newborn daughter. This was confirmed by a statement from the State Attorney for Florida’s 7th Circuit.
The indictment against Anne Mae Demegillo, 20, includes charges of first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and failure to report a death. The incident took place in Flagler County, Florida, and was officially reported on April 6, 2026, by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Prosecutors allege Demegillo gave birth on a toilet inside her home and allowed the baby to drown while she cleaned up the blood.
Demegillo reportedly claimed she did not know she was pregnant when she delivered the child.
Immediately after the child was born, Demegillo allegedly hid the baby inside a duffle bag in her closet and “went about her normal daily routine,” the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said in a previous statement.
Demegillo returned later in the day to bury the remains in a shallow grave, authorities allege.
Anne Mae Demegillo is accused of allowing her newborn baby to drown after unexpectedly giving birth on a toilet inside her home in Flagler County, Fla., on March 5, 2026. (Flagler County Sheriff’s Office)
Following a monthlong investigation, authorities said Demegillo had searched “newborn premature babies,” “Palm Coast OBGYN” and “foods to decrease fertility,” according to the sheriff’s office.
“This is one of those tragic cases that shock you to your core that a mother would allow a newborn to die because the newborn was a distraction to her life,” Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said in a statement. “It’s hard to comprehend how a mother would choose to watch their infant drown instead of lifting the baby out of the toilet.”
Casey Anthony was found guilty of lying to law enforcement officers but not guilty of murder charges. (Joe Burbank/Getty Images)
Authorities were initially called to Demegillo’s home on March 6 regarding a request for a welfare check on an adult female later identified as Demegillo, authorities said.
The caller told dispatchers that they had received messages from Demegillo indicating she had secretly been pregnant and unexpectedly delivered the child at home, according to police.
The messages allegedly revealed the baby was “born alive and crying, but Demegillo had done something to the incident,” authorities added.
Upon speaking with Demegillo, she allegedly told officers she was “not sure she was pregnant but began experiencing severe abdominal pain,” in the early hours of March 5, and later delivered the child in her bathroom toilet, police said.
Authorities added that although she allegedly claimed she believed the child was dead, “detectives determined that Demegillo knowingly and purposefully allowed the newborn to drown in the toilet.”
Demegillo later turned herself into the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she is being held without bond.
In a court appearance last month, Demegillo’s attorney argued the child’s death was an “isolated episode” and that she should not be held in jail because she does not have any prior convictions or violent history, according to FOX 35.
“I don’t know how long she will survive,” defense attorney Michael Politis said. “It’s not necessary to incarcerate her.”
The State Attorney for Florida’s 7th Circuit and Demegillo’s attorney did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.