An Augusta woman whose stories of delivering a dead child led sheriff officers on an extensive hunt for the remains pleaded guilty Friday, June 24, to making a false statement.
No one knows which of Tabitha Moss statements was correct, but no fetus was ever found despite the exhaustive search, Assistant District Attorney Stetson Cromer said Friday in Richmond County Superior Court.
Richmond County Sheriff officers were called to University Hospital on June 13, 2019. Moss had gone to the emergency room for bleeding and reported having had a stillbirth. The hospital staff told investigators that Moss had recently been 24 to 26 weeks pregnant.
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But Moss changed her story about what happened to the fetus — giving it to a friend to dispose of, burying it in the backyard, flushing it down the toilet and throwing it from a vehicle at different locations in the county. She also said she had made up the story about even being pregnant to try to get a boyfriend back, Cromer said.
Defense attorney Benjamin Allen told the judge Moss, 35, had paid a heavy penalty — 25 days in jail followed by more than a year on house arrest and the lose of her other children until recently. It was a situation that got out of control, and she apologized to her family and the community, Allen said.
Judge Ashley Wright accepted the negotiated plea and sentenced Moss to one year on probation with a $250 fine. Wright, who has presided over several hearings in Moss’ case, said Friday that Moss has made huge strides in becoming mature after such a childish stunt.
Sandy Hodson is a staff reporter covering courts for The Augusta Press. Reach her at sandy@theaugustapress.com.
