Florida woman accused of watching newborn baby drown in toilet had images of Casey Anthony on phone: Sheriff

PALM COAST, Fla. - A Florida woman has been indicted for first-degree murder following a month-long investigation by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

The backstory:

According to the state attorney’s office, Anne Mae Demegillo’s newborn died on March 5, 2026.

The 20-year-old woman from Palm Coast was arrested for aggravated manslaughter the next day.

However, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office continued investigating and on April 6, a grand jury indicted Demegillo for first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and failure to report the death of a person with the intent to conceal the death or alter the evidence or circumstances surrounding such death.

Demegillo turned herself in at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility and will be held on no bond pending a court hearing.

Courtesy: Flagler County Sheriff's Office

Dig deeper:

During the investigation, detectives said they discovered that Demegillo used her phone to search for "newborn premature babies," "Palm Coast OBGYN," and "foods to decrease fertility."

Investigators added that Demegillo had images of Casey Anthony and newborn babies, which they said suggest searches on the death of a child and subsequent investigation.

What they're saying:

"This is one of those tragic cases that shock you to your core that a mother would allow a newborn to die because the newborn was a distraction to her life," said Sheriff Rick Staly. "It’s hard to comprehend how a mother would choose to watch their infant drown instead of lifting the baby out of the toilet. I commend our investigators who followed every lead and our Digital Forensics team that uncovered the digital evidence to prove this tragic case was a premeditated murder. I thank our State Attorney, R.J. Larizza, and his office for reviewing the facts of our investigation and the Grand Jury for doing a very difficult job."