Melissa Drexler
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Melissa Drexler (born 1978, a.k.a. "The Prom Mom", as labeled by the American media), gained infamy for delivering a baby in a restroom stall at her high school prom and putting the body in the trash before returning to the dance. She pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter, and was sentenced to fifteen years of imprisonment. After serving nearly 37 months, she was released on parole.
Drexler attended Lacey Township High School, New Jersey.[1] Over the course of nearly nine months she kept her pregnancy secret from the baby's father, her parents, and her new boyfriend, John T. Lewis, Jr. Five foot seven inches tall, and weighing 60 kg (130 pounds), she apparently showed no signs of her pregnancy.
On June 6, 1997, the day of her senior prom, the eighteen-year-old's water broke in the morning, and she later suffered contractions on her way to the banquet hall. Upon arrival, she retreated to the restroom, where the baby was born in about 15–30 minutes. According to her allocution, Drexler then retrieved the baby from the toilet bowl, cut the umbilical cord on the bathroom fixtures, wrapped the baby in several garbage sacks, and deposited the bundle in a trash can. She then went to the dance floor and, according to witnesses, "appeared to be just as she always was" and "exhibited indications of somebody enjoying the prom." Some reports at the time stated that she requested the song "The Unforgiven" by Metallica, but later reports denied this. However, others alleged that she ate a salad and danced afterwards.
The baby was discovered by a janitor who responded to reports of blood in the restroom, and who became suspicious of the weight of the trash bag. Emergency workers attempted to resuscitate the baby for two hours. The baby's father later named the baby Christopher.
Originally charged with murder, Drexler pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter on October 29, 1998, and Judge John A. Ricciardi sentenced her to 15 years in prison, the maximum penalty. On November 26, 2001, she was released on parole after serving a little over three years.
[edit] References
- ^ "Decision Whether to Charge Prom Mother Awaits Tests", The New York Times, June 10, 1997, accessed April 23, 2007. "Lacey Township High School classmates identify girl as Melissa Drexler..."
