Arrest more than a year after remains of 2 babies found in trash bags under home
SMITHFIELD, N.C. -- A North Carolina woman has been arrested in connection with the discovery of infant remains found in trash bags under a house more than a year ago.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reports 41-year-old Bridgette Morgan Smith was arrested at a Jacksonville, Florida, hotel on June 21. The police account of the arrest was first reported by the Florida Times-Union, which said Smith gave her address as her mother's house, where the remains of two infants were found in April 2016.
Smith is the daughter of Pamela McBride, who rents the Smithfield home where the remains were found and who has custody of two of Smith's children. Another had reportedly been given up for adoption.
According to a police affidavit obtained by the Times-Union, McBride told police her son stumbled upon the remains as he was running cable through a crawl space under the home in April of 2016.
McBride reportedly told police her daughter had been pregnant about 10 times, though the family could only account for three children. McBride told police her daughter wore sweatshirts to conceal her pregnancies, and would leave for weeks at a time when they became obvious, the paper reported.
Smith would return after delivering the babies without mentioning where they were, McBride told authorities.
Smithfield Police Capt. Ryan Sheppard said Smith is currently charged with concealing a death of a child.
Sheppard told the paper police in North Carolina have been searching for Smith since she fled after local news reports identified her as someone of interest in deaths of the babies found beneath the home.
Smithfield Police confirmed Friday afternoon Smith waived an extradition hearing, reports CBS affiliate WNCN-TV in North Carolina. It's not clear when she will be extradited back to North Carolina.
