A Nebraska teenager, Chloe Coplen-Anderson, 18, was sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison in connection with he 2023 murder of her newborn son. Coplen-Anderson slit the newborn's throat shortly after giving birth to him in secret.
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According to an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, the incident took place on November 6, 2023. A Gordon Police Department officer arrived at Coplen-Anderson's home after receiving a report of a newborn child not breathing after birth. The officer was met by Coplen-Anderson's father, who believed that the baby had been stillborn.
However, Coplen-Anderson's mother told the officer that Chloe had killed the newborn. While in tears, she accused her daughter of hurting the newborn boy by using a kitchen knife. Both of Coplen-Anderson's parents revealed to police that she had removed a knife earlier on November 6. Moreover, it was Coplen-Anderson's father who called 911 after finding the bloodied knife in his daughter's closet.
As per the affidavit, Chloe Coplen-Anderson slit her newborn's son throat with the kitchen knife after she gave birth to him in secret in her bedroom.
Court Claims
Coplen-Anderson's attorney, Todd Lancaster, told PEOPLE that his client had suffered from abuse by her family members. According to several witnesses, this abuse resulted in her suffering from various mental health conditions. These included post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
It was also revealed by Lancaster that Chloe Coplen-Anderson was only 15 when she became pregnant. The baby's father was 19 at the time, which constitutes sexual assault in Nebraska. Despite her mental health situation or her pregnancy, Lancaster claimed in court that no adults helped her or staged an intervention, as per the outlet.
When she was initially arrested, Chloe Coplen-Anderson was charged with first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, and use of a deadly weapon. However, as part of a plea agreement, Chloe-Anderson agreed to plead no contest to second-degree murder. The child abuse and deadly weapon charges were dropped as a result.
On Thursday, April 24, 2025, Coplen-Anderson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. According to Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, Judge Travis O'Gorman sentenced Coplen-Anderson to 35 to 60 years in prison.
