A grand jury in Florida today indicted an 18-year-old eastern Iowa girl on first degree murder charges, but she will not face the death penalty. Ashley Truitt of Solon is accused of killing her baby on June 2nd by throwing the newborn down a trash chute on the seventh floor of her Florida hotel.
Truitt told authorities she concealed her pregnancy and was vacationing with her parents and her boyfriend in Florida when she gave birth. The grand jury concluded Truitt’s actions were "premeditated" and intended to cause the baby’s death.
According to a written statement, the State Attorney’s Office in Florida does not plan to seek the death penalty for Truitt. Truitt is being held in the Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.