Update: Charges dropped against Chattanooga woman whose newborn twins died
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WTVC) — UPDATE (August 1st):
Online court records show that all charges against Tiffany Marie Roberts have been dropped. That includes first degree murder, viable fetus as victim, and aggravated child abuse or neglect.
On its Facebook page, the Hamilton County District Attorney's Office says, "This morning, Executive Assistant District Attorney Cameron Williams told Judge Gerald Webb the decision to drop the charges was made after conferring with the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office. The medical examiner said preliminary findings show the cause of death could not be linked solely with Robert’s alleged drug abuse. Therefore, said Williams, state law did not support prosecuting the case."
Depend on us to update this story when we get more information.
PREVIOUSLY:
A Chattanooga Police affidavit says a 29-year-old woman told doctors "she has a problem" with drug addiction, shortly after her prematurely-newborn twins died at Children's Hospital.
Tiffany Marie Roberts is charged with viable fetus as victim, aggravated child abuse or neglect, and first-degree murder.
The affidavit says Roberts had gone in for checkups prior to her birth, and tested positive for several kinds of drugs in her system on three different days, including cocaine, oxycodone, Roxicodone, methamphetamine, and benzodiazepine drugs while she was pregnant.
On the day of the children's births, the affidavit says Roberts admitted to taking ecstasy, immediately felt short of breath, and went to the hospital. There, she gave birth to her twins. The affidavit says both of them died two days later, on Tuesday, nine hours apart.
Police were called to investigate and took Roberts into custody later on Tuesday.
The affidavit says officers later learned both infants tested positive for "several narcotics," including cocaine, at the time of their birth.
The affidavit concludes that "based on Ms. Roberts' illicit drug use during her pregnancy, in conjunction with the medical records, the infants were subject to aggravated child abuse and neglect which later led to their deaths."
This is a developing story. Depend on us to bring you new details as we get them.
