DOWNEY, ID – A woman has been arrested following the discovery of her infant’s skeletal remains concealed in a suitcase within a doghouse, according to law enforcement. Jessica Lynn Weeks was apprehended on September 22, several months after the infant’s remains were unearthed.
The Bannock Sheriff’s Department in Idaho received a tip on June 5 about a deceased infant potentially being located in a piece of 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 infant. He disclosed that Weeks had avoided going to the hospital for the delivery due to her drug use, as per court documents.
Weeks, 32, is facing felony charges for concealing evidence, injuring a child, and failing to report a death after her infant’s skeletal remains were discovered hidden in a doghouse on her property. The prisoner revealed that another woman had assisted Weeks in delivering the baby at her home, and a second inmate had seen the baby inside a suitcase post-birth.
The second inmate, whose relationship to Weeks remains unclear, verified that he was present in the house in January and witnessed Weeks placing a purple suitcase inside a doghouse. Several months later, while cleaning around the suitcase, he encountered the infant’s leg. He reported that the deceased infant was wrapped in black plastic, and he never returned to the property.
Law enforcement discovered warrants for Weeks’ arrest in Franklin County for possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, and intent to distribute methamphetamine, leading them to obtain a warrant to search her property. Officers reported a smell of decomposition emanating from Weeks’ backyard before discovering the doghouse containing the purple carry-on style suitcase.
Within the suitcase, wrapped in a bluish baby blanket, were the newborn’s skeletal remains. Tests conducted on August 16 revealed amphetamines and methamphetamines in the baby’s system. The autopsy showed the child was between 36 and 40 weeks old at the time of death and exhibited no signs of physical trauma.
Weeks was reportedly discovered hiding in a nearby shed and was subsequently arrested. A text message recovered from Weeks’ phone, sent days before the child’s birth, allegedly read, “Idek wtf to do bro… and if they turn me in at the hospital, I’m f—– going to prison probably cuz I have warrants…”
The friend who assisted Weeks in delivering the baby was located by officers. She reported that Weeks had insisted on smoking a cigarette during birth and showed little interest in the baby. The friend was emotional as she recounted trying to clear the baby’s airway and provide rescue breaths. She felt a pulse but was unsure.
The friend placed a diaper on the infant and put the baby in the suitcase due to a lack of other flat surfaces in the house. The property was described as extremely cluttered. Weeks was initially arrested on an outstanding drug warrant, then faced additional charges on September 22 related to her baby’s death. She is scheduled to appear in Bannock County Court on October 5.