Anne Mae Demegillo, accused of giving birth at home, watching the baby die and burying it in the backyard of her family’s home, surrendered herself to jail Monday.Demegillo was originally charged with aggravated manslaughter but has now been indicted on first-degree murder charges, and her previous bond was revoked. If convicted, she faces up to life in prison. While the state has the option to pursue the death penalty, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly believes that is unlikely.”That’s a decision for the state attorney,” said Staly. “But I think when you look at the totality of the situation and the history of the suspect in this case, no prior criminal cases and so forth, I personally don’t see this as a death penalty case.”Demegillo appeared in court at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday for her first appearance on her three new charges. She is also charged with aggravated child abuse and failure to report a death with the intent to conceal it or alter the circumstances surrounding such death, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said. The sheriff said investigators worked on the case for a month and found evidence that proves the newborn’s death was premeditated. Part of that evidence included Google searches.”She searched what foods to eat to lower the birth of a child or pregnancy,” said Staly. “She also searched the Casey Anthony case.”Demegillo is set to appear in court again on April 21. She will be arraigned, and her defense attorney, Michael Politis, will argue to have her previous bond reinstated.This all comes after a newborn was found dead in a shallow grave after deputies said the 20-year-old college student delivered the baby at home before watching it die.According to the FCSO, Demegillo then allegedly put the baby in a duffel bag in her closet to attend a theater performance at her college. Another person called 911 and said the woman had told them she was secretly pregnant, gave birth and did something to the baby.Deputies went to the home near the intersection of Florida Park Drive and Forest Hill Drive for a welfare check early Friday morning, where they found the woman and located the baby.Chief Deputy Joe Barile of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said, “It baffles me, to be completely honest. Sometimes, you can’t explain everything.”The state attorney’s office released the following statement Monday shortly after Demegillo’s arrest:”The Flagler County Grand Jury heard the case of Anne Mae Demegillo today. The defendant is accused of giving birth to a baby and leaving her in the toilet to die on March 5, 2026.”The indictment was handed down this afternoon. The defendant was charged with First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Child Abuse, and Failure to Report Death of a Person with Intent to Conceal the Death or Alter the Evidence or Circumstances Surrounding Such Death.”The case was investigated by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak is the prosecutor assigned to the case.”Not long after, the FCSO issued another release, which included the following:”On April 6, a grand jury handed down a ‘true bill’ of first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated child abuse, and failure to report the death of a person with intent to conceal the death or alter the evidence or circumstances surrounding such death following the death of Demegillo’s newborn girl on March 6.”In the month-long investigation, detectives uncovered additional facts, including searches on Demegillo’s phone for ‘newborn premature babies,’ ‘Palm Coast OBGYN,’ and ‘foods to decrease fertility.’ Also located on her phone were images of Casey Anthony and newborn babies, which suggest searches on the death of a child and subsequent investigation… “Demegillo turned herself in at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and will be held on no bond pending a court hearing.”>> This is a developing story and will be updated as new information is released.
FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. —
Anne Mae Demegillo, accused of giving birth at home, watching the baby die and burying it in the backyard of her family’s home, surrendered herself to jail Monday.
Demegillo was originally charged with aggravated manslaughter but has now been indicted on first-degree murder charges, and her previous bond was revoked. If convicted, she faces up to life in prison. While the state has the option to pursue the death penalty, Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly believes that is unlikely.
“That’s a decision for the state attorney,” said Staly. “But I think when you look at the totality of the situation and the history of the suspect in this case, no prior criminal cases and so forth, I personally don’t see this as a death penalty case.”
Demegillo appeared in court at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday for her first appearance on her three new charges. She is also charged with aggravated child abuse and failure to report a death with the intent to conceal it or alter the circumstances surrounding such death, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said.
The sheriff said investigators worked on the case for a month and found evidence that proves the newborn’s death was premeditated. Part of that evidence included Google searches.
“She searched what foods to eat to lower the birth of a child or pregnancy,” said Staly. “She also searched the Casey Anthony case.”
Demegillo is set to appear in court again on April 21. She will be arraigned, and her defense attorney, Michael Politis, will argue to have her previous bond reinstated.
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This all comes after a newborn was found dead in a shallow grave after deputies said the 20-year-old college student delivered the baby at home before watching it die.
According to the FCSO, Demegillo then allegedly put the baby in a duffel bag in her closet to attend a theater performance at her college.
Another person called 911 and said the woman had told them she was secretly pregnant, gave birth and did something to the baby.
Deputies went to the home near the intersection of Florida Park Drive and Forest Hill Drive for a welfare check early Friday morning, where they found the woman and located the baby.
Chief Deputy Joe Barile of the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said, “It baffles me, to be completely honest. Sometimes, you can’t explain everything.”
The state attorney’s office released the following statement Monday shortly after Demegillo’s arrest:
“The Flagler County Grand Jury heard the case of Anne Mae Demegillo today. The defendant is accused of giving birth to a baby and leaving her in the toilet to die on March 5, 2026.
“The indictment was handed down this afternoon. The defendant was charged with First-Degree Murder, Aggravated Child Abuse, and Failure to Report Death of a Person with Intent to Conceal the Death or Alter the Evidence or Circumstances Surrounding Such Death.
“The case was investigated by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant State Attorney Andrew Urbanak is the prosecutor assigned to the case.”
Not long after, the FCSO issued another release, which included the following:
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office
“On April 6, a grand jury handed down a ‘true bill’ of first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated child abuse, and failure to report the death of a person with intent to conceal the death or alter the evidence or circumstances surrounding such death following the death of Demegillo’s newborn girl on March 6.
“In the month-long investigation, detectives uncovered additional facts, including searches on Demegillo’s phone for ‘newborn premature babies,’ ‘Palm Coast OBGYN,’ and ‘foods to decrease fertility.’ Also located on her phone were images of Casey Anthony and newborn babies, which suggest searches on the death of a child and subsequent investigation…
“Demegillo turned herself in at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and will be held on no bond pending a court hearing.”
>> This is a developing story and will be updated as new information is released.