Anderson mom whose newborn died faces murder, feticide, drug charges
ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) — Police on Thursday arrested a 34-year-old woman on a preliminary charge of murder in the death of her newborn son.
Kelli Renee Leever-Driskel, 34, of Anderson, also faces a preliminary charge of knowingly or intentionally killing a fetus and several drug charges. She was booked into the Madison County Detention Center on a 72-hour hold, said a news release from Maj. Joel Sandefur of Anderson Police Department.
The baby died during its birth Dec. 23 at Leever-Driskel’s home. She and the baby were taken to an Anderson hospital after the birth. The next day, an autopsy was performed. In a pathologist’s report, a doctor “listed a particular medical condition as cause of death,” the release said.
“In addition, the pathologist also reported that contributing factors in the baby’s death were due to Acute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Clonazepam, and Diphenhydramine Intoxication.”
During an interview with police Thursday, Leever-Driskel admitted she knew she was pregnant about a month before her baby’s birth but had continued to consume different types of drugs, including methamphetamine.
The case remains under investigation, police said. No date for the filing of formal charges was immediately available from the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office.
