Authorities say the parents now face homicide and related charges.
OWSLEY COUNTY, Ky. — A Kentucky mother and her husband are accused of killing their newborn child after authorities said the infant’s body was discovered outside their home shortly after the woman reported a miscarriage at a hospital.
The couple, identified as Deeann Bennett, 27, and Charles Bennett, 32, were indicted by an Owsley County grand jury and arrested in February. Investigators say the charges stem from a November 2024 incident that launched a months-long investigation into the infant’s death.
Police said the investigation began when emergency responders learned that Deeann Bennett had gone to a hospital claiming she had miscarried. During conversations with officials, the couple allegedly told investigators that the baby remained at their home.
Troopers who went to the property later located the newborn outside the residence, over an embankment near the house. Authorities said the baby was unresponsive when discovered and was pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner.
Officials then opened a criminal investigation that continued for more than a year as detectives gathered evidence and sought medical analysis. Authorities have not released details about the autopsy results.
The grand jury ultimately returned indictments accusing both parents of reckless homicide and concealing the birth of an infant. Prosecutors also charged Deeann Bennett with additional counts, including tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse.
Police have not publicly described what evidence investigators believe links the couple to the infant’s death. Authorities also have not disclosed whether the baby was born alive.
The case has drawn attention in the small eastern Kentucky community, where investigators said they worked for months to determine what happened.
The Bennetts are being held at the Three Forks Regional Jail and are scheduled to appear in court as the case proceeds through the judicial system.
Author note: Last updated March 6, 2026.