Dennis Eckersley’s daughter unaware of pregnancy during woods birth
Daughter of Dennis Eckersley gave birth in woods, thought baby was dead
Alexandra Eckersley, the daughter of baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley, testified on Wednesday that she was unaware of her pregnancy when she gave birth in the woods on Christmas night in 2022, in subfreezing temperatures. She believed her now 19-month-old son had died.
The trial of Alexandra Eckersley, daughter of former MLB Pitcher Dennis Eckersley, is going down in my hometown- Manchester, NH. She thought her baby had died after giving birth in the woods, and she left him there on a freezing winter night (she also alleged she didn’t know she… pic.twitter.com/XSpIvueP0i
— Lauren Conlin (@conlin_lauren) July 28, 2024
At the time, the 27-year-old was homeless, living in a tent in Manchester, New Hampshire. A forensic psychologist testified that Eckersley had long-standing mental health and developmental issues, as well as substance abuse disorder, and was not receiving treatment. The trial began on July 25, with the jury receiving the case on Wednesday afternoon.
Deliberations are set to continue on Thursday morning.
Her attorney, Kim Kossick, argued during closing statements that Eckersley was unaware of the situation. Prosecutors, however, stated that her son was left alone for over an hour in temperatures as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit, suffering from respiratory distress and hypothermia.
Prosecutor Shawn Sweeney emphasized the gravity of the situation, focusing on the baby’s suffering. Eckersley has pleaded not guilty to charges of assault, reckless conduct, falsifying evidence, and child endangerment.
Eckersley described experiencing severe stomach pains earlier that day, mistaking them for constipation. After taking ibuprofen and stomach medicine provided by a man staying with her, the pain persisted. She described the pain as akin to being stabbed. She didn’t recognize the sensations as labour pains and only realized she was pregnant when the baby was born.
After the birth, Eckersley didn’t check her baby and asked the man to take the baby’s pulse, who told her there was no pulse. Bleeding heavily, they attempted to call for help but couldn’t due to lack of cellphone service. They then walked towards an ice arena, with Eckersley experiencing afterbirth along the way, mistakenly thinking she was having a second child. The baby was left in the tent.
When questioned by her attorney, Eckersley admitted she didn’t think to take the baby with her because she believed he was dead. She informed a 911 dispatcher about the birth of two children, stating both had died. Her lawyers claimed she directed the dispatcher and police to her location, but police didn’t follow her directions.
Prosecutor Alexander Gatzoulis accused Eckersley of misleading first responders to avoid trouble, initially withholding that the baby had cried. She eventually led them to the tent where they found the baby alive.
During redirect, Eckersley acknowledged some of her statements to police were incorrect but claimed she was unaware at the time and feared the man she was staying with. The man was arrested and sentenced to a year in jail for child endangerment.
Since earlier this year, Eckersley has been living with her son and family in Massachusetts. The Eckersley family expressed shock at her pregnancy, stating they were unaware and had always tried to support her through her severe mental illness.
Dennis Eckersley, who attended the trial, had a distinguished baseball career, pitching 24 seasons for several teams including Cleveland, Boston, and Oakland. He won the AL Cy Young and MVP awards in 1992 with the Oakland Athletics and retired from broadcasting Boston Red Sox games in 2022.
