Teri Rhodes

Teri Rhodes (born October 15, 1988) is a former college athlete who is accused of asphyxiating her secret newborn baby girl.cite episode|credits=Host: Nancy Grace|airdate=2007-09-20|title=College Athlete Accused of Killing Own Newborn|series=Headline News|network=CNN|transcripturl=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0709/20/ng.01.html] Originally from Commerce, Michigan, Rhodes was a volleyball player at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pennsylvania when the incident occurred in August 2007. [cite web|title=Player Bio: Teri Rhodes|url=http://hurstathletics.cstv.com/sports/w-volley/mtt/rhodes_teri00.html|publisher=CSTV and Mercyhurst College|accessdate=2007-12-26] She has been charged with a general count of criminal homicide, concealing the death of a child, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment, and abuse of a corpse on September 19, 2007.cite news|title=Hearing delayed in baby's death|author=Staff|date=2007-12-05|accessdate=2007-12-26|publisher=Erie Times-News|url=http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071205/NEWS02/712050358]

About

On August 12, 2007, Rhodes apparently complained to a roommate that she wasn't feeling well and went to her dorm's bathroom. She gave birth to a baby that had developed into the third trimester, and was later determined to be 39 and 1/2 weeks old.cite news|last=Thayer|first=Emily|title=Female athletes conceal pregnancies, infant deaths|publisher=The Jambar|date=2007-12-06|accessdate=2007-12-26 |url=http://media.www.thejambar.com/media/storage/paper324/news/2007/12/06/TitleIxAndAthletePregnancy/Female.Athletes.Conceal.Pregnancies.Infant.Deaths-3137723.shtml] Later she claimed she did not know she was pregnant until feet emerged, and had passed a volleyball physical two days before giving birth. Neither her friends, family, coaches, or colleagues knew of her pregnancy. [cite news|last=Yakey|first=Randal|title=Cmmunity [sic] shocked over investigation of student|publisher=The Oakland Press|date=2007-08-31|accessdate=2007-12-26|url=http://www.theoaklandpress.com/stories/083107/loc_20070831147.shtml] The baby lived for approximately 10 minutes until Rhodes placed the baby in a plastic bag. According to "CNN", moments after giving birth Rhodes put the infant in a plastic bag and into the bathtub, and then took a shower. Ten minutes later, the infant was dead.

Rhodes was charged with a general count of criminal homicide, concealing the death of a child, endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment, and abuse of a corpse on September 19, 2007. A preliminary trail date was moved to January 15, 2008 at the request of the defense lawyers.

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