In her first appearance in Trigg County Circuit Court, 28-year-old Shaylynn Curtis was originally in the chambers Wednesday afternoon for arraignment involving a December 2021 grand jury indictment on a charge of abuse of a corpse.
Public Defender Cody Hooks asked to waive the formal reading, and entered a plea of “not guilty” on her behalf.
However, Commonwealth’s Attorney Carrie Ovey-Wiggins then presented new information to Circuit Judge C.A. “Woody” Woodall III and the Department of Public Advocacy — just learned Wednesday morning.
On top of the murder indictment, the 28-year-old Curtis has already been charged with the Class D felony regarding the abuse of a corpse — punishable in Kentucky with 1-to-5 years in prison.
A Kentucky State Police investigation from October 2021 stated Curtis took the body of her deceased 5-month-old, wrapped the child in a blanket, and placed him in the attic of her home on East Adams Mill Road. The child had reportedly been dead for nearly 24 hours.
The police report further noted that Curtis made no attempts to call 911 or seek any medical assistance for the infant. Law enforcement arrived only following phone calls from friends of Curtis, seeking a wellness check on the child.
Her bond was originally $5,000 cash, but Woodall noted that would likely change with a new indictment on the docket.
The next pre-trial conference was set for 2:15 p.m., February 8, and Ovey-Wiggins noted the two cases will almost certainly be consolidated from this point.
