Pennsylvania house of horrors home to 3 dead newborn infants suffocated to death by their mother

Content warning: This article contains graphic descriptions of child murder and abuse. Please take care while reading.

Police in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, are investigating after the bodies of three newborn infants were discovered inside a home once occupied by 39-year-old Jessica Mauthe. According to criminal complaints and court documents, Mauthe has admitted to the births and to hiding the infants’ bodies. 

The first horrific discovery

The case began to come to light in August 2025, when the property owner evicted Mauthe. While cleaning out the vacant house, the homeowner reportedly found a trash bag with a foul odor in a closet. When authorities were called, the Armstrong County Coroner’s Office confirmed that the bag contained an infant’s body.

Further investigation led officers to search the attic. In two separate totes, they found two more deceased infants: one wrapped in a trash bag, the other also wrapped in a towel or similar cloth, per the criminal complaint. 

During an interview with investigators, Mauthe allegedly acknowledged that she had given birth to all three infants while living in the home. She reportedly described the first birth as occurring approximately one year ago in a bathroom; she told police she wrapped the infant in towels until it “stopped making noises,” then placed the body in the closet.

The subsequent two infants, she said, were similarly born and then suffocated, before being placed in bags and stashed in the attic. 

Mauthe has since been arrested and is being held in the Armstrong County Jail on charges including criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse. Her first court appearance is scheduled for September 23, 2025. 

Authorities have not yet released detailed information about any surviving children or whether Mauthe sought medical care during her pregnancies. Investigators are continuing to gather evidence, including forensic analysis of the infants, and are exploring whether there were any witnesses, medical records, or other evidence that could clarify the timeline.