Woman Accused in Baby's Death to Stand Trial | News

A woman charged with the death of her newborn daughter was back in Wayne County court Wednesday.

Jennifer Barrise was scheduled to be formally arraigned Wednesday morning on homicide charges after investigators said she failed to report the death of her newborn little girl.

Barrise chose not to appear before a judge and instead, will now head to trial where prosecutors said they will seek the death penalty.

Barrise, 28, sobbed on her way in to her formal arraignment at the courthouse in Honesdale.

She was scheduled to stand before a judge charged with criminal homicide in the death of her newborn daughter. Instead, she gave up that right and the charges will now head to court.

State police said Barrise's boyfriend, Christopher Fitzpatrick, 21, killed their baby soon after the infant was born on Memorial Day because he said he could not afford to keep her.

Police said Fitzpatrick took the child to his workplace at a lawn care business near Hamlin, killed her with a cinder block and buried her.

Barrise told investigators she knew he was going to do it but did nothing to stop it.

The baby's death shocked the community and led to an outpouring of grief.

The Wayne County district attorney said because of the nature of the crime he is asking for the death penalty.

"It is a horrific set of circumstances (but with) we've got a situation here where we've got a newborn that was killed in a fairly brutal manner. One of the circumstances that is listed as an aggravated circumstance meriting the death penalty is that the killing resulted in the death of a child under 12," said District Attorney Micheal Lehutsky.

Fitzpatrick also allowed his charges to head to court last week.

Lehutsky said Barrise and Fitzpatrick are tentatively scheduled to stand trial in November. He is seeking the death penalty against both.