The case began on January 27, 2023, when Alexee Trevizo arrived at Artesia General Hospital in New Mexico with severe back pain.
While she was being treated, doctors discovered that she was pregnant; the then-19-year-old student and high school cheerleader had not yet been informed of the result when she asked to go to the bathroom. She remained there for about 20 minutes. When she came out, staff found a large amount of blood in the bathroom, and a cleaning worker later discovered that the trash bag weighed much more than usual. Inside was the body of a newborn.
Dr. Vaskas entered her room accompanied by two armed officers and, without warning, revealed in front of Trevizo’s mother and the police what she had discovered. At that moment, the young woman was still bleeding and under the effects of morphine. What she said then was recorded on the officers’ body camera.
While the investigation continued and she had still not been arrested, Trevizo returned to her school life. On April 22, just three months after the newborn was found at the hospital, she attended her prom with her boyfriend, Devyn Fierro, who, according to what he told police, was the baby’s father. Photos taken that night showed the couple smiling and embracing during the event as if nothing had happened.
Now, the New Mexico Supreme Court unanimously ruled that this confession cannot be used against her. The justices determined that Trevizo did not have the necessary physical or mental capacity to waive doctor-patient confidentiality. The murder trial is still pending, but one of the main pieces of evidence obtained at the hospital was excluded from the proceedings.