A California mother of three was charged with murder after her newborn died during a home birth in November 2020. Kelsey Carpenter, 33, unexpectedly went into labor two weeks early with her daughter Keira and reportedly gave birth to the infant alone in a San Diego apartment. Carpenter claims she cut the cord and tried to nurse the infant before passing out.
Carpenter noticed the newborn was not breathing when she awoke, The Guardian reported. She attempted CPR, but Keira died. Carpenter was allegedly a drug user and reportedly had lost custody of her older children before giving birth to Keira. The news outlet reported that past drug use and the decision to have an “unattended delivery” prompted the San Diego district attorney to charge Carpenter with murder “with malice” and child endangerment.
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The medical examiner deemed the death accidental.
Official reports noted that Keira’s accidental death was “associated with methamphetamine and buprenorphine exposure and unattended delivery,” according to The Independent.
Carpenter's defense team argues that the baby's death was due to blood loss either before or after birth. Lawyers also cited a California law that exempts prosecution for “decisions they took during pregnancy if the outcome is an abortion, miscarriage or stillbirth,” the news outlet reported.
She reportedly was in drug treatment during her pregnancy and had her home prepared for the birth of her daughter. According to The Guardian, her lawyers claimed she sustained significant blood loss during the delivery and passed out, leading to the baby’s death.
They also alleged she was in a drug treatment program.
A “Yale University expert who reviewed placental records for Carpenter’s lawyers said a rupture was the most likely cause, meaning blood loss prior to or during delivery, and that there was no evidence that drug exposure was responsible,”’ the news outlet reported.
Prosecutors intend to go forward with the case.
Tanya Sierra, a representative for the district attorney’s office, acknowledged the defense but disagreed with their statement and shared more information.
“Carpenter is not being prosecuted for her decision to have a home birth or substance use. This is not a case involving abortion, stillbirth, or any other pregnancy outcome," she said via The Guardian. This is a case about a newborn baby who died as a direct result of a parent’s acts and omissions after the baby’s live birth."
Past drug use caused Carpenter to lose custody of her children.
Carpenter gave birth to son Caden in 2012 and son Ezekial in 2019. The infants reportedly tested positive for drugs, and California Welfare Services took custody of the babies at birth.
According to The Guardian, her mother has custody of her eldest son, and Kelsey Carpenter regained joint custody of the younger child. She claimed in messages to the news outlet that after finding out she was expecting Kiera, she wanted to stay clean and raise a family.
"I did not want to risk losing my third child to the system … I love my babies and hoped to provide a sibling to them," Carpenter said. "I had imagined my sons being her big brothers and protecting her and showing her love."
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After the infant's death, Carpenter was reportedly inconsolable.
Her mother, Shande Carpenter, told The Guardian that she met her daughter at the police station, and she was in both physical and emotional distress.
"She was hysterically crying, collapsing in my arms, completely inconsolable, hyperventilating. She told me Kiera had passed away and the police were blaming her," Shande Carpenter said. "It was gut-wrenching. I felt like someone was ripping my heart out."
After the birth, Kelsey Carpenter was questioned briefly in the hospital but released. She was arrested and charged with murder in March 2021 and released on bail. The Independent reported that she was arrested again in January 2023 for failing to appear in court.
Carpenter used social media to defend herself.
In an April 2021 Facebook post, Kelsey Carpenter claimed her drug use resulted from six years of sexual abuse from an Oceanside police officer, who also allegedly physically abused her mother. She asked people not to judge her as they didn't understand what she was going through.
She claimed Keira's death was not her fault and wanted to defend herself. She wrote, "UNEXPECTEDLY ALL BY YOURSELF DURING COVID WITH NO ONE TO HELP YOU AND BEEN ABLE TO COME THROUGH THE OTHER SIDE ? IF YOU HAVE NOT THEN GO F— YOURSELF
YOU PIECES OF S— I HAVE TWO BOYS WHO ARE MOMMYS BOYS AND YOU ARE ALL PATHETIC
! GET THE F— OUTTA HERE"
If convicted, Kelsey Carpenter faces life in prison.
"I am still stunned and horrified that a person could have the biggest tragedy of their life and lose a child who was loved and was so wanted, and then be charged with such a horrible crime," she told The Guardian. "I had cherished the idea of this baby and was totally committed to becoming the best mother I knew how to be. I mourn every day for Kiera."
