A woman who helped illegally terminate her daughter’s pregnancy is sentenced to prison.Friday morning, a Madison County judge ordered Jessica Burgess to serve two years in prison. She’s eligible for mandatory release after a year with good time.In July, Burgess pleaded guilty to three felony charges for helping her daughter obtain pills and giving her instructions on how to end her pregnancy.Earlier this year, her daughter — Celeste Burgess — was sentenced to two years probation, and a judge ordered her to spend 90 of those days in jail. Court records show that she was released last week.Investigators obtained Facebook messages between Celeste and her mother, 42-year-old Jessica Burgess.In them, the two talked about using medication to induce an abortion and then made plans to burn the fetus afterward.In one message, Jessica Burgess tells her daughter she obtained the pills and gave her instructions on how to end her pregnancy.Joseph Smith, the Madison County attorney, said the pills were obtained online.”This was something that should have been handled differently,” Smith said. “Everybody participated in things and saw things they shouldn’t have ever done and never have seen.”Prosecutors said Burgess, who was 17, took pills to abort her pregnancy at 29 weeks. Later, she set fire to the fetus before leaving it in a field outside Norfolk.Judge Mark Johnson said it should have been handled by professionals, and took into account physical and emotional toll.But he also expressed frustration at the mom lying to investigators, and said she disrespectfully treated and disposed of the fetus.”Call it a human fetus, call it a stillborn child — that you would treat it like yesterday’s trash,” Johnson said.Burgess could spend one year in prison with good time.Get the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7
A woman who helped illegally terminate her daughter’s pregnancy is sentenced to prison.
Friday morning, a Madison County judge ordered Jessica Burgess to serve two years in prison. She’s eligible for mandatory release after a year with good time.
In July, Burgess pleaded guilty to three felony charges for helping her daughter obtain pills and giving her instructions on how to end her pregnancy.
Earlier this year, her daughter — Celeste Burgess — was sentenced to two years probation, and a judge ordered her to spend 90 of those days in jail. Court records show that she was released last week.
Investigators obtained Facebook messages between Celeste and her mother, 42-year-old Jessica Burgess.
In them, the two talked about using medication to induce an abortion and then made plans to burn the fetus afterward.
In one message, Jessica Burgess tells her daughter she obtained the pills and gave her instructions on how to end her pregnancy.
Joseph Smith, the Madison County attorney, said the pills were obtained online.
“This was something that should have been handled differently,” Smith said. “Everybody participated in things and saw things they shouldn’t have ever done and never have seen.”
Prosecutors said Burgess, who was 17, took pills to abort her pregnancy at 29 weeks. Later, she set fire to the fetus before leaving it in a field outside Norfolk.
Judge Mark Johnson said it should have been handled by professionals, and took into account physical and emotional toll.
But he also expressed frustration at the mom lying to investigators, and said she disrespectfully treated and disposed of the fetus.
“Call it a human fetus, call it a stillborn child — that you would treat it like yesterday’s trash,” Johnson said.
Burgess could spend one year in prison with good time.
Get the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7