Crime & Safety

'He Was Alive,' Mom Charged With Killing Baby Allegedly Told Police

Amanda Hein, accused of suffocating newborn baby boy in Lower Saucon Township in August, is headed to trial.

Amanda Hein couldn't explain to police why she kept her pregnancy secret.

And she couldn't explain why—soon after giving birth in the bathroom of a Lower Saucon pub in August—she allegedly put her baby in a bag inside a toilet tank, where he would suffocate.

That's according to testimony from investigators Monday at Hein's preliminary hearing, where District Judge David Tidd ruled there was enough evidence for homicide charges against her to move to Northampton County Court.

"She couldn't give a reason why she did it, other than she was scared," Lower Saucon police Officer James Connell testified.

Hein, 27, of Allentown, sat hunched in her chair as a township police officer and the county coroner testified about the discovery of Baby Boy Hein—his official coroner's designation—and the resulting investigation.

According to police, Hein gave birth Aug. 18 in a stall in the ladies room of Starter's Pub where she had gone with friends to watch a WWE pay-per-view wrestling match. 

Police say Hein had known since May or June that she was pregnant, but apparently hadn't told anyone else. The baby's body was discovered the next day by a cleaning crew.

Police were able to track down Hein through one of her friends, who had reserved a booth for the wrestling match. Workers had found blood in that booth the night of the WWE event.

Connell testified that Hein agreed to go with him to the Lower Saucon police headquarters, where she talked about the night of Aug. 18.

"She did eventually admit to giving birth," Connell said. "She couldn't give a reason as to why she put it in the bag. She also did admit the baby was alive when it was born."

Coroner Zachary Lysek was also present for part of the interview. He testified he asked Hein why she didn't just leave the baby out for someone to find, and said she didn't answer.

"She said the child was still, then she cried out 'He was alive,'" Lysek said. He added that Hein told him "I belong in jail," and talked about killing herself.

"She was upset, crying," Connell testified. "At one point, she did have an outbreak, just screaming." 

Because she was still bleeding, Hein was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in Fountain Hill, and was eventually checked in for psychiatric care. She was still in the hospital when she was charged with homicide Aug. 26.

Defense attorney Michael Corriere asked several questions of both Lysek and Connell, but offered no witnesses or arguments. 

Tidd scheduled Hein's preliminary arraignment for Dec. 12. Hein could face the death penalty if convicted of first-degree murder.



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