A Sussex County woman sentenced to 20 years in prison for the death of her newborn is asking the state Board of Pardons for a commutation.
Thirty-five-year-old Julie L. Bailey was convicted in 2005 of first-degree murder by abuse or neglect.
According to court records, Bailey became pregnant as the result of an extramarital affair and gave birth in January 2003 in a vacant house with no running water after trying to hide the pregnancy from her husband.
Bailey claimed she left the baby boy outside a house where she believed the father lived, but the baby, who would have been exposed to frigid winter temperatures, was never found.
The Board of Pardons was scheduled to hear Bailey's request for commutation at its meeting Thursday in Dover.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
