Florida mother charged in newborn daughter's death

Baby's body was found in hotel trash can

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – A woman in central Florida was charged with manslaughter in the death of her newborn daughter, after the baby's body was found in a hotel trash can.

Jodi Leann Alexander, 26, was booked into the Marion County Jail on no bond Monday. She had been in the custody of the Florida Department of Corrections since the child's death in March.

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Marion County Sheriff's Office deputies were dispatched to the Vacation Host Inn on South Pine Avenue on March 8 in reference to Alexander's friend finding a baby's body in a trash can in a room Alexander was staying in, investigators said.

A detective said Alexander had given birth to a baby girl named Chance, placed her in the trash can and covered her body in towels in an attempt to hide the death.

The Medical Examiner found baby Chance was born alive and died as a result of the tearing of the umbilical cord, causing her to bleed to death.

The manner of death was ruled to be a homicide.

Alexander told deputies that day that she did not want to be charged with murder and the baby was born dead, MCSO said.

In a later interview at the jail, Alexander said she tried to call 911 for help but was unable to place the phone call after giving birth, investigators said.

The detective leading the investigation said after the baby was delivered, Alexander failed to tell anyone about the birth.

The Medical Examiner also found that baby Chance had Alprazolam, a generic form of Xanax, and Hydromorphone, a prescription pain medication, in her system at the time of her death.

Alexander was arrested on March 8 on two violation of probation warrants out of Citrus County: possession of Oxycodone with the intent to sell and sale of Oxycodone.

She was charged with manslaughter on Monday in Marion County.