A Nebraska teenager, Chloe Coplen-Anderson, 18, has been sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison for the murder of her newborn son in 2023. Coplen-Anderson cut the newborn’s throat immediately after giving birth in secret.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by PEOPLE, the incident occurred on November 6, 2023. A Gordon Police Department officer responded to Coplen-Anderson’s home after receiving a complaint that a newborn child was not breathing after birth. Coplen-Anderson’s father approached the police and informed them that the baby had been stillborn.
Coplen-Anderson’s mother, on the other hand, informed the officer that Chloe had killed the child. While in tears, she accused her daughter of injuring the newborn son with a kitchen knife. Coplen-Anderson’s parents told police that she had taken a knife earlier on November 6. Furthermore, Coplen-Anderson’s father contacted 911 after discovering the bloodied knife in his daughter’s closet.
According to the complaint, Chloe Coplen-Anderson cut her newborn son’s neck with a kitchen knife after giving birth to him in secret in her bedroom.
Court Claims
Coplen-Anderson’s attorney, Todd Lancaster, told PEOPLE that his client had been abused by her family members. According to multiple witnesses, the assault caused her to suffer from various mental health issues. These included depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Lancaster also revealed that Chloe Coplen-Anderson was 15 when she became pregnant. The baby’s father was 19 at the time, which constitutes statutory rape under Nebraska law. Lancaster said in court that no grownups supported her or staged an intervention, regardless of her mental state or pregnancy, according to the site.
When she was first detained, Chloe Coplen-Anderson was charged with first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, and use of a deadly weapon. However, as part of a plea agreement, Chloe-Anderson chose to enter a plea of no contest to second-degree murder. As a result, the charges of child abuse and possessing a deadly weapon were withdrawn.
Coplen-Anderson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Thursday, April 24, 2025. According to Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, Judge Travis O’Gorman condemned Coplen-Anderson to 35to60 years in jail.
