911 Calls in Newborn Baby Death Investigation Released, Baldwin Co. Sheriff Doesn’t Suspect Foul Play

MILLEDGEVILLE, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office released the 911 calls a Milledgeville family made after finding a baby buried in their backyard.

Willie Palmer called 911 on Wednesday, October 17th after noticing a fresh dig space in the backyard of his home off Lakemere Drive.

“Baldwin County 911, what’s your emergency?”

“Yes ma’am, I don’t have a 911, but I need someone to come to my house,” Palmer said.

“What’s going on?”

“Somebody, it looks like somebody has buried something in my backyard,” he said.

He didn’t know what was buried in his yard and was calling for help. But he called 911 again a few minutes later.

“Baldwin County 911, what’s your emergency?”

“Hey ma’am, you can cancel that 911 ma’am,” he said.

“Okay, what’s the reason for the cancellation?”

“Because I thought it was something that was dug up, but it’s not something dug up ma’am,” Palmer said.

He told the 911 operator it was a towel and the emergency was dropped. But 15 minutes later his wife called frantically asking for help.

“Baldwin County 911, tell me what’s going on.”

“My husband called about something buried in the yard, and he was digging it up, and it’s a baby. So we need someone to come, please hurry,” she said.

Baldwin County deputies investigated the death and arrested 23-year-old Brittany Palmer. Sheriff Bill Massee says Brittany admitted to giving birth to the baby alone in the bathtub and then it drowned.

“After this tragic death, the mother took the child in the backyard and buried the child I guess in the hopes that no one would know she was pregnant,” Sheriff Massee said.

Brittany Palmer was arrested and charged with concealing a death and giving false statements.

On Tuesday friends and family gathered at the home to support the Palmer family during this difficult time and mourn the child’s death.

Sheriff Massee believes Brittany’s parents didn’t know she was pregnant and neighbors we spoke to say they didn’t know either.

Deputies are waiting on a final autopsy report before deciding if they will add any more charges.