A 20-year-old Florida college student is facing first-degree murder charges after authorities allege she gave birth at home and allowed her newborn daughter to die before burying the body in her backyard.

Anne Mae Demegillo, of Palm Coast, was indicted on April 6 by prosecutors in Florida’s 7th Judicial Circuit on charges including first-degree premeditated murder, aggravated child abuse, and failure to report a death with intent to conceal it, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators say the case began in the early morning hours of March 6, when deputies responded to a welfare check after a caller reported receiving alarming messages from Demegillo. According to authorities, the messages indicated she had secretly been pregnant, had given birth at home, and that the baby had been born alive.

When deputies arrived, Demegillo told them she had experienced severe abdominal pain hours earlier and delivered the child in a bathroom toilet. She claimed she believed the newborn was already dead.

But investigators later concluded otherwise.

Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said evidence suggests Demegillo “knowingly and purposefully” allowed the infant to drown rather than attempting to help. He described the allegations as deeply disturbing, pointing to both physical evidence and digital records recovered during the investigation.

Authorities say Demegillo then placed the newborn in a bag and continued her day, even attending a theater performance later that evening. Upon returning home, she allegedly buried the infant in a shallow grave in the backyard.

“At no point did Demegillo contact emergency services for assistance,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

During the investigation, detectives reportedly uncovered internet searches on Demegillo’s phone related to premature newborns, local obstetric care, and ways to reduce fertility. Officials also cited searches and images connected to Casey Anthony, whose 2011 trial in the death of her daughter drew national attention.

Demegillo was initially arrested in March on a lesser charge of aggravated manslaughter of a child. However, prosecutors say additional evidence led to the upgraded charge of premeditated murder.

She later turned herself in at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where she is currently being held without bond as she awaits her next court appearance.

Officials also emphasized that Florida’s Safe Haven Law allows parents to safely surrender a newborn at designated locations such as hospitals, fire stations, or police departments without fear of prosecution.

The case remains under investigation.