BEYOND DISTURBING

Couple Faces Murder Charges After Texts Say Newborn Was ‘Left in Trash’

The baby’s whereabouts are unknown, but police reportedly found images of what appeared to be a deceased newborn on the woman’s phone.

Two Oklahoma residents are facing second-degree murder charges after police say a friend of the couple stumbled upon photos of a deceased newborn on their phone and text messages about it being thrown “in the trash.” Kevin Helton, 60, and Sarah Helton, 40, were charged Wednesday over the presumed death of the infant, which police say they still have not been able to find. Sarah Helton is thought to have given birth to the child in late December, according to text messages recovered by investigators with the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office. The suspected killing came to light after police say a family acquaintance who had borrowed a phone belonging to Sarah Helton discovered an image on the device that appeared to show a deceased newborn. Upon searching further in the phone, the unnamed acquaintance reportedly found a text from Kevin Helton to Sarah Helton in which he wrote: “Do you want me to tell your daughter what really happened to her sister. I buried her this morning because you left her in the trash.” Sarah Helton reportedly told detectives the baby had been handed over to an adoption agency, though local authorities have found no evidence to support that claim. An investigation into the baby’s fate and the Heltons’ role in it is ongoing.