DOWNEY, ID – Jessica Lynn Weeks, a local woman, has been taken into custody after the skeletal remains of her infant were discovered concealed in a suitcase, tucked away in a doghouse, according to local law enforcement. Weeks was arrested on September 22, several months after the gruesome discovery of the infant’s remains.
An anonymous tip received by the Bannock Sheriff’s Department in Idaho on June 5 led to the discovery. The tipster’s son, currently serving time in prison, revealed to officers that Weeks was the infant’s mother. He further disclosed that Weeks had chosen not to go to the hospital for the delivery due to her ongoing drug use, as revealed by court documents.
Weeks, aged 32, now faces serious felony charges, including concealing evidence, causing harm to a child, and failing to report a death, following the discovery of her infant’s skeletal remains in a doghouse on her property. The prisoner also revealed that another woman had aided Weeks in delivering the baby at her home, and a second inmate had seen the baby inside a suitcase after its birth.
The second inmate, whose relationship to Weeks is yet to be clarified, confirmed that he was in the house in January and saw Weeks place a purple suitcase inside a doghouse. Months later, while tidying up around the suitcase, he stumbled upon the infant’s leg. He reported that the deceased infant was wrapped in black plastic, and he never revisited the property.
Upon discovering warrants for Weeks’ arrest in Franklin County for possession of marijuana, possession of methamphetamine, and intent to distribute methamphetamine, law enforcement obtained a warrant to search her property. Officers reported a smell of decomposition coming from Weeks’ backyard before they found the doghouse containing the purple suitcase.
Inside the suitcase, swaddled in a bluish baby blanket, were the skeletal remains of the newborn. Tests conducted on August 16 detected amphetamines and methamphetamines in the baby’s system. The autopsy indicated that the child was between 36 and 40 weeks old at the time of death, with no signs of physical trauma.
Weeks was found hiding in a nearby shed and was subsequently taken into custody. 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 helped Weeks deliver the baby was tracked down by officers. She recounted that Weeks had insisted on smoking a cigarette during the birth and seemed disinterested in the baby. The friend was emotional as she described her attempts to clear the baby’s airway and provide rescue breaths. She felt a pulse but was unsure.
The friend put a diaper on the infant and placed the baby in the suitcase due to the absence of other flat surfaces in the house. The property was described as being in a state of extreme clutter. Weeks was initially arrested on an outstanding drug warrant, then faced additional charges on September 22 in relation to her baby’s death. She is due to appear in Bannock County Court on October 5.