4 babies found dead after the owner of the home their mother had been renting went in the residence to start cleaning when the woman stopped paying rent; mother charged
Pennsylvania – In a harrowing case in Pennsylvania, a 39-year-old woman, identified as J. Mauther, is facing multiple charges after the remains of four deceased babies were discovered inside a home she had been renting. Mauthe, who was arrested last weekend, is now charged with multiple counts of criminal homicide, involuntary manslaughter, and abuse of a corpse in connection to the disturbing discovery that has stunned the local community.
Authorities first filed charges earlier this week when the body of a baby was found wrapped in towels and garbage bags inside a bedroom closet. Since then, three additional infant remains were located, all hidden in the home’s attic. The deaths span several years, according to Mauthe’s own admissions, and investigators allege that she never sought medical care for any of the newborns and never reported their deaths. The gruesome discovery was made on September 13, when B. Flanigan, the owner of the rental property, entered the home with a worker to clean up after evicting Mauthe for failing to pay rent. Flanigan said Mauthe had previously relied on churches to cover her payments and had stopped sending any rent after her father passed away.
Flanigan told local reporters, “We went in to start cleaning, and that’s when we found the bag.” He described the stench as unbearable and said the bag had been sealed tightly with multiple layers of plastic. Using a stick, he and his worker peeled back the towels inside and quickly realized the contents were not animal remains. The coroner was called to the scene, and authorities confirmed the body belonged to a deceased infant. State police were brought in immediately, and a search of the home uncovered two more dead babies in the attic. Then, on Thursday, the Pennsylvania State Police confirmed a fourth infant body had been located, deepening the horror that had unfolded in the quiet residential area.
In an interview with investigators, Mauthe admitted that all four babies were born in the bathroom of the home. She claimed the births occurred over the past six years and provided chilling details about what happened to each child. Regarding the first baby, Mauthe stated she passed out on top of the newborn after giving birth and woke to find the child dead. The second, she claimed, was stillborn, never making a sound.
But it was the third case that prosecutors say crossed into intentional homicide. About a year ago, Mauthe said she delivered the baby in the toilet. “The child remained in the toilet for several minutes; during this time, she could hear the child making noises,” investigators wrote in the complaint. Mauthe then allegedly removed the baby, wrapped it in a towel, and did nothing as the child stopped making sounds and died.
No explanation has yet been given for the fourth child, whose remains were only recently discovered and were not addressed in Mauthe’s initial confession. Authorities noted that in none of the cases did Mauthe attempt to call 911, notify authorities, or seek medical assistance. All four infants were hidden within the home—two in the attic and one in a bedroom closet.
The coroner’s office is conducting autopsies on all four babies to determine exact causes and timelines of death. Meanwhile, Mauthe remains held without bond at the county jail. She is scheduled for a preliminary court hearing on September 30, where prosecutors will begin to lay out the full scope of the charges against her. While the community struggles to comprehend how such a tragedy remained hidden for so long, authorities continue to investigate. What began as a landlord entering a home to clean up after an eviction has now turned into a homicide case involving the silent deaths of four children—lives lost behind closed doors, in a home that now serves as a crime scene.
