Trial underway for ex-Muskingum University student accused of killing newborn

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The trial began Wednesday for a 21-year-old former Muskingum University student accused of killing her newborn in her sorority house bathroom.

(File photo)

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The murder trial for a former eastern Ohio university student accused of killing her newborn began Wednesday.

Emile Weaver, 21, is charged with aggravated murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in Muskingum County Common Pleas Court, the Columbus Dispatch reports. Weaver was a student at Muskingum University - which sits about 60 miles east of Columbus - at the time of the incident.

The woman is accused of giving birth to her child in the bathroom of her sorority house and placing the baby in a trash bag, the prosecution stated in opening arguments Wednesday. The bag was found outside the house, according to the Dispatch.

The baby died of asphyxiation.

Weaver first told police that she did not know she was pregnant when she gave birth to the child. However, it was later revealed that she lied to authorities, according to the Dispatch.

Weaver's attorneys said in opening arguments that she admits to lying to the police, but that she was acting out of fear, the Dispatch reports.

"She was 20 years old, a college student," Weaver's attorney said, according to the Dispatch. "She couldn't go to her mom. She couldn't go to the boy she thought was the father. She was alone."

The defense also said it plans to present evidence that will leave reasonable doubt, including the fact that the child took at least one breath but it could not be proven as to when the breath was taken - inside or out of the womb, the Dispatch reports.

The Muskingum County Prosecutor told the Dispatch that the trial is expected to last about one week.

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