Chloe Coplen-Anderson sentenced to at least 35 years after slitting newborn son’s throat
Nebraska Teen Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Killing Newborn Son
A tragic case unfolded in Nebraska as Chloe Coplen-Anderson, now 18 years old, was sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison for the brutal murder of her newborn son. The heart-wrenching incident occurred when Coplen-Anderson, then 16 years old, gave birth in secret in her childhood bedroom and proceeded to slash the infant’s throat with a kitchen knife.
According to the Nebraska Attorney General’s Office, Coplen-Anderson pleaded no contest to second-degree murder in connection with the heinous crime.
The young mother, who had kept her pregnancy hidden from her parents, carried out the horrific act shortly after giving birth on November 6, 2023. She retrieved a knife from the kitchen and inflicted fatal wounds on the newborn baby boy.
When the baby was discovered unresponsive, Coplen-Anderson’s father alerted authorities, initially claiming the infant was stillborn. However, further investigation revealed the chilling truth behind the newborn’s death.
Upon entering Coplen-Anderson’s bedroom, officers found the lifeless newborn wrapped in a towel with severe injuries. The teen’s mother, who noticed marks on the baby’s body, implicated her daughter in the crime. Subsequently, the murder weapon, a bloody knife, was discovered in the teenager’s closet.
It was revealed that Coplen-Anderson had been impregnated by a 19-year-old when she was just 15 years old. Her defense attorney, Todd Lancaster, cited a history of abuse within the family and underlying mental health conditions as contributing factors to the tragic events that unfolded.
Despite serving nearly two years in prison already, Coplen-Anderson faces a lengthy sentence and may not be released until she is in her mid-70s. The time served will be counted towards her total sentence.
