HOWARD COUNTY — Howard County Police said a Columbia mother was arrested and charged in the death of her newborn.
Officers responded to a call at Howard County General hospital on November 1, 2018, after Moira Akers was transported there from her home by paramedics. Investigators later determined Akers had recently given birth at home.
Investigators said when they entered her home, they found a newborn male in a zipped plastic bag under blankets in a closet. The baby was pronounced dead on the scene.
The autopsy ruled the death as a homicide. Investigators learned the infant was full-term and alive at birth. Authorities said the cause of death was ruled as asphyxiation and exposure.
Police said Akers’ internet search history revealed numerous searches on how to terminate a pregnancy.
She was arrested at her home Wednesday night in Columbia and has been charged with one count of first-degree murder. Akers is being held without bond at the Howard County Detention Center.
