New insights have come to light regarding a Pennsylvania woman, aged 39, who was taken into custody last month after authorities discovered the remains of four infants in her former residence, from which she had been evicted after living there for several years.

Jessica Mauthe appeared in court on Tuesday for her preliminary hearing before District Judge J. Gary DeComo. She entered a plea of not guilty to charges including one count each of criminal homicide and involuntary manslaughter, along with four counts each of concealing the death of a child and abuse of a corpse, as detailed in court records.

During the session, prosecutors summoned several witnesses to discuss the investigation into Mauthe, who was initially detained after her landlord discovered a deceased infant wrapped in towels and garbage bags in a closet. Further examination of the house uncovered three more lifeless newborns, concealed in bags or buckets in the attic.

A Pennsylvania State Police trooper testified that the homicide charge pertains to the most recent child Mauthe gave birth to approximately 18 months ago, while the manslaughter charge is linked to her first child, born about six years ago, as reported by the Butler Eagle.

Another trooper revealed in court that Mauthe provided details about each of the children hidden in the house, all of whom were delivered in the bathroom. She allegedly recounted that the first infant made a sound or a “whimper” before she lost consciousness and awoke on top of the deceased child.

The circumstances surrounding the second and third infants remain unclear, particularly whether they were alive at birth or stillborn. Mauthe stated that the third child, labeled as “Baby C” in court documents, made no sounds after being delivered in the toilet.

The fourth child was allegedly killed by Mauthe after being born alive, also in the toilet.

“The child remained in the toilet for several minutes, during this time, she could hear the child making noises,” police previously wrote in a probable cause affidavit. “Mauthe removed the child from the toilet, wrapped a towel around the infant”s entire body, where it remained until it stopped making noises.”

A trooper testified that during an interview, Mauthe admitted she held the baby for 15 to 20 minutes before it stopped making noise and said she was unsure if the death was the result of holding the child too tightly or because she had the child’s nose and mouth covered.

Mauthe’s defense attorney, Chuck Pascal, argued that his client should not be facing the homicide and manslaughter charges because prosecutors submitted no evidence about the children’s causes of death, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported. He also asserted that Mauthe’s admissions should not be taken literally because she was likely in a “dream” state due to the pain, pressure, and blood loss that come with giving birth.

“You can’t confess to a crime that can’t be proven in some other way,” he reportedly told the court. “There was no evidence introduced today about any cause of death, about whether any baby was alive, any scientific evidence. Therefore, you’ve got to question anything that Miss Mauthe may have said, whether it was accurate or not. She may not know.”

At the conclusion of the proceedings, DeComo held all of the charges against Mauthe, meaning she will go to trial.

Mauthe was ordered to remain in detention at the Armstrong County Jail without bond. It was not immediately clear when she was scheduled to return to court.