8/18/2021- 5:51 p.m.
Jenifer Tupper – AÂ 31-year-old Mountain View woman is facing murder charges after an investigation concluded she had killed her baby.
Shortly after giving birth and reportedly discarded the body prior to the arrival of first responders. Police and fire crews received an emergency call regarding the incident around 2:30 p.m. on Aug. 2. The caller, described as a friend, said Tupper had given birth to a stillborn child and needed help.
Jenifer Tupper was arraigned last week on one count of murder and one count of assault on a child causing great bodily injury resulting in death. Both charges carry a sentence of up to life in prison.Â
Emergency responders found Tupper bleeding outside of an RV, where she had given birth, on the 2000 block of Leghorn Street, but she reportedly denied that there was a baby for over 15 minutes, police said. She eventually disclosed the location of the child’s body, which was outside and wrapped in a sweater and a towel inside two clear plastic trash bags.
Officers concluded that the birth took place inside the RV, and that no one was present during the birth or prior to police arriving.
Tupper was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment, and police — working with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office — continued to investigate the death of the child. An autopsy revealed that the baby boy was born alive at around 35 weeks old, and had suffered blunt force trauma to the skull; trauma to neck muscles and brain bleeding.
“Those impacts may be easily recognized, but in truth they also gnaw deep under the surface,” said Sgt. Mike Fisher, who is overseeing the case. “First responders willingly risk exposure to trauma of all varieties to serve their communities.”
Police said in a statement that the injuries are consistent with homicide.
Tupper was arrested on Aug. 4 and transported to Santa Clara County jail, where she remains in custody without bail.
