Background: Medical Center Enterprise hospital located in Enterprise, Alabama (Google Maps). Inset: Chelsey Redmon-Zellers (Pike County Sheriff’s Department).
An Alabama woman has learned her fate after pleading guilty in the “heartbreaking” death of her stillborn son.
Chelsey Redmon-Zellers, aged 26, was sentenced on Tuesday to a 15-year term in the Alabama Department of Corrections, as reported by the 12th Circuit District Attorney’s Office in the state who confirmed the development. Earlier that day, she entered a guilty plea to the charge of manslaughter.
The case dates back to March 18, 2023, when Redmon-Zellers’ “fully developed baby boy was delivered stillborn” at Medical Center Enterprise in Enterprise, Alabama. The woman had been moved there from another hospital, where medical personnel “found that no fetal heartbeat was present.”
Authorities initiated an investigation into the death. The Enterprise Police Department along with the Coffee County Coroner’s Office examined the “circumstances surrounding the stillborn birth,” and the infant’s remains were sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for further autopsy and toxicology analysis, according to the 12th Circuit District Attorney’s Office.
It was these reports that proved revelatory.
“Toxicology results indicated that the baby boy’s blood contained methamphetamine, amphetamine, and fentanyl,” the district attorney’s office stated. “The fentanyl was present in a quantity capable of being lethal to human life.”
The Pike County Sheriff’s Office assumed control of the investigation, as Redmon-Zellers lived there and was at that location when it was believed her child had passed away. They discovered that she had been informed to refrain from illegal drug use during her pregnancy, but “that guidance was disregarded.”
12th Circuit District Attorney James Tarbox said his office reviewed the circumstances of the case, and, after speaking with medical experts, determined it made sense to seek a manslaughter conviction.
“The Manslaughter charge for which the Defendant entered a guilty plea is still a very serious charge, and it reflects the completely reckless disregard and lack of care she had for the human life growing inside of her as she continued to ingest meth and fentanyl,” he said.
Redmon-Zellers was originally charged with chemical endangerment of a child resulting in death, per a report at the time from local CBS affiliate WTVY.
An arrest warrant was reportedly issued for Redmon-Zellers on May 1, 2023, but she refused to turn herself in and tried to run away when law enforcement arrived to apprehend her roughly three weeks later, Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas told the outlet. Deputies caught Redmon-Zellers shortly after.
“This is a tragic case that was difficult to work on for all involved,” Tarbox added. “To have a baby that should have been born and given a chance at life die in this manner is heartbreaking.”
Pike County court records show Redmon-Zellers faced other charges from an arrest in March of this year, including tampering with physical evidence and possession of marijuana.
“This case serves as a sobering reminder of the vital importance of prenatal care, education, and intervention when substance use is involved,” the Coffee County, Alabama, Coroner’s Office said following the sentencing.
