Young mom charged in newborn death

A Lackawanna woman is locked up on manslaughter charges Tuesday night in the death of her newborn baby. Police say the suspect tried to deny she was pregnant in the first place.

For more than one week, 26-year-old Danielle Payne kept telling police she was never pregnant.

After being questioned for several days, police say she finally broke down and told them where they could find her baby's remains.

Lackawanna Police Captain Ronald Miller said, "The infant was found. The infant's remains were found in the trunk of a vehicle parked in a driveway next door to Ms. Payne's residence."

The disturbing story began on Warsaw Street on April 18th. Police say Payne gave birth in the bathroom of her apartment. She began bleeding excessively so she called her husband who took her to Mercy Hospital.

Since then, investigators have interviewed him and other family members.

Captain Miller said, "They all claim that they did not know she was pregnant. We don't think that they did know until yesterday when we actually discovered the remains."

Payne even denied being pregnant to doctors but they could tell she had given birth and called police. Police searched the home she shares with her husband several times but didn't find anything.

Captain Miller said, "Absolutely no signs that she had given birth; you could tell that evening that the house had been thoroughly cleaned especially the bathroom."

Investigators continued to question Payne. She eventually began to give them more information; at one point telling them she had flushed the baby down the toilet.

Payne finally told them the truth Monday afternoon, bringing to closure a heartbreaking investigation for police.

Captain Miller said, "It doesn't matter how long you've been here. Cases involving children always get you."

Police tell News 4 Danielle Payne gave birth to a baby girl who was near full term. She weighed eight pounds. Payne is now in jail on $100,000 dollars bail.