Melissa Drexler, who was nicknamed in the media as "The Prom Mom," is an American woman who, as a teenage high school student in 1997, delivered a baby in a restroom stall during her high school

prom A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school yea ...

dance. The baby was later found dead in a trash bin, and Drexler pleaded guilty to aggravated

manslaughter Manslaughter is a common law legal term for homicide considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is sometimes said to have first been made by the ancient Athenian lawmaker Draco in the 7th cen ...

, having put the infant in the trash can and then returned to the dance. She was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. After serving a little over three years, she was released on parole.

Early life

Drexler was an only child from a

middle-class The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Comm ...

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

family and lived in

Forked River, New Jersey Forked River () is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) located within Lacey Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.

. She attended

Lacey Township High School Lacey Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located in the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey Township, in Ocean County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, which opera ...

in the Lanoka Harbor section of

Lacey Township, New Jersey Lacey Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey and is considered part of the Jersey Shore and South Jersey regions. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 27,644, reflecting an increase of 2,298 (+9.1%) fro ...

and had plans for a career in the

fashion industry Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...

Pregnancy

Drexler kept her pregnancy secret from the baby's father, her parents and friends. At tall, and about , she apparently showed no signs of her pregnancy. On June 6, 1997, Drexler gave birth in a bathroom stall at her senior prom, twenty minutes after complaining of stomach cramps in the car she had arrived in. She retrieved the baby from the toilet bowl, placed it in a plastic bag, and deposited it in a trash can. It is thought that she severed the

umbilical cord In placental mammals, the umbilical cord (also called the navel string, birth cord or ''funiculus umbilicalis'') is a conduit between the developing embryo or fetus and the placenta. During prenatal development, the umbilical cord is physiologic ...

on the serrated edge of a

sanitary napkin Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems a ...

dispenser and suffocated the child. According to the prosecutor, a friend asked if she was all right, and she replied "I'll be done pretty soon. Go tell the boys we'll be right out." She then returned to the dance floor, ate a salad, and danced with her boyfriend. When Drexler and her friends were asked by teachers about the blood in the bathroom, she replied that she was having a heavy

menstrual period The menstrual cycle is a series of natural changes in hormone production and the structures of the uterus and ovaries of the female reproductive system that make pregnancy possible. The ovarian cycle controls the production and release of eggs ...

. The baby was discovered in a trash bin by a janitor, after a school nurse cleaned the bloody bathroom stall, emptied the trash can, and became suspicious of the weight of the trash bag.

Criminal proceedings

As part of a

plea agreement A plea bargain (also plea agreement or plea deal) is an agreement in criminal law proceedings, whereby the prosecutor provides a concession to the defendant in exchange for a plea of guilt or '' nolo contendere.'' This may mean that the defendan ...

, Drexler pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter on August 20, 1998. As of 2011 court transcripts had not been released. She was sentenced to 15 years in prison. On November 26, 2001, she was freed on parole after serving three years and one month.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Drexler, Melissa 1978 births American people convicted of manslaughter Filicides in the United States Infanticide Living people Lacey Township High School alumni People from Lacey Township, New Jersey Place of birth missing (living people)

Early life

Pregnancy

Criminal proceedings

See also

References