DOWNEY, ID – A woman was taken into custody after the skeletal remains of her infant were discovered concealed in a suitcase within a doghouse, according to law enforcement. Jessica Lynn Weeks was apprehended on September 22, several months following the discovery of her child’s remains.
The Bannock Sheriff’s Department in Idaho received a tip on June 5 about a deceased infant potentially being hidden in luggage near a doghouse at a residence close to Downey, Idaho. The informant’s son, currently in prison, informed officers that Weeks was the mother of the child. He revealed that Weeks had avoided hospital delivery due to her drug addiction, as per court documents.
The prisoner also disclosed that another woman had assisted Weeks in delivering the baby at her residence, and a second inmate had seen the baby in a suitcase post-birth. The second inmate, whose connection to Weeks remains uncertain, confirmed witnessing Weeks place a purple suitcase in a doghouse in January. He later encountered the infant’s remains while cleaning around the suitcase, after which he never returned to the property.
Weeks had outstanding warrants in Franklin County for possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, and intent to deliver methamphetamine. This led law enforcement to secure a warrant to search her property on East Highway 40 on June 5. Officers reported a smell of decomposition from Weeks’ backyard before discovering the infant’s skeletal remains in a purple suitcase inside the doghouse.
Tests conducted on August 16 found amphetamines and methamphetamines in the infant’s system. The autopsy revealed the child was between 36 and 40 weeks old at the time of death, with no signs of physical trauma. Weeks was later found hiding in a nearby shed and was arrested.
A text message recovered from Weeks’ phone, sent days before the child’s birth, indicated her fear of being turned in at the hospital due to her outstanding warrants. The friend who assisted Weeks during the delivery was located by officers. She described Weeks as being disinterested in the baby and insisted on smoking a cigarette during birth. The friend also recounted her attempts to clear the baby’s airway and provide rescue breaths.
The friend placed the infant in the suitcase due to the lack of a flat surface in the house, which was described as extremely cluttered. She advised Weeks and the baby’s father to report the infant’s death and suggested that funeral homes might offer free preparation for the infant’s burial arrangements. The alleged father of the baby denied knowledge of Weeks’ pregnancy, the delivery, or the concealment of the baby’s remains on her property. DNA tests confirmed the paternity.
Weeks was initially arrested on her outstanding warrant, then charged with injury to a child, failure to notify a death, and concealment of evidence on September 22. Her next court appearance is scheduled for October 5, and her bond is set at $50,000. Neither the friend nor the baby’s father are facing charges.