A Colorado woman grappling with severe postpartum psychosis is now in custody. She is accused of causing the tragic death of her two-month-old son. Anna Englund, 29, was apprehended on Sunday and now faces charges of first-degree murder and child abuse resulting in death.
The infant, named Miles Basellio, was the child of Englund and a man who wished to remain anonymous. This grieving father shed light on Englund’s mental health struggles, revealing that the new mother had been wrestling with psychosis since giving birth.
The Cleveland Clinic defines postpartum psychosis as a critical mental health emergency causing profound alterations in a person’s sense of reality, leading to hallucinations, paranoia, delusions, or other behavioural changes. In extreme cases, those afflicted may endanger themselves or their newborns.
As per the father’s account, Englund had reached out for help at Boulder Community Hospital twice within the past fortnight due to her escalating postpartum difficulties.
On the day preceding the tragic incident, a close friend of Englund, who is also the godmother of the infant, contacted the police out of fear for her friend’s mental wellbeing. The woman, who described Englund’s condition as postpartum depression accompanied by insomnia, requested a welfare check on the new mother.
The friend narrated a disturbing event where Englund left abruptly with her infant son while the father was preoccupied. According to her, Englund left her home barefoot, leaving behind her mobile phone, and couldn’t be located at her regular hangouts.
Responding to the friend’s request, Boulder Police Department carried out a welfare check at Englund’s residence around 4:30 p.m. They subsequently issued an ‘attempt to locate’ bulletin, alerting neighboring jurisdictions about Englund and her child.
At approximately 10:20 p.m., law enforcement identified Englund’s vehicle near Boulder Community Hospital. The police interacted with Englund, and her infant son was rushed to the emergency department, where he was pronounced dead before 11 p.m.
The Boulder Police Chief, Maris Herold, expressed deep condolences for the bereaved family, acknowledging the incident as a heartbreaking tragedy. The police have yet to disclose the cause of the infant’s death, pending a coroner’s report.
Englund is currently being held at the Boulder County Jail without bond.