Summary4 min read

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: Evicted & Exposed: Mom's Secret Quadruple Nightmare; 4 Dead Babies, 1 House
Date: September 18, 2025
Host: Jennifer Gould (reporting for Nancy Grace)

Episode Overview

This episode delivers a chilling look into two shocking recent cases involving the concealed deaths of multiple infants, and a brief segment on New Jersey's new human composting law. The main focus is on the horrifying discovery of four infant bodies in a Pennsylvania home following an eviction, unraveling the disturbing secret life of a seemingly ordinary mother. The episode delves into the investigation, community reactions, and broader implications, maintaining Nancy Grace’s signature tone of urgent outrage and commitment to justice.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pennsylvania Quadruple Infant Deaths ([00:00]–[03:11])

Discovery and Crime Scene

Initial Incident: After Jessica Mafi, a 39-year-old mother, was evicted from her Cadogan Township, Pennsylvania home for non-payment, the property owner entered to clean and was struck by a “foul smell.”
Horrific Find:
- First, one decomposing infant body was found in a closet, wrapped in a towel and sealed in a trash bag ([00:28]).
- Further police search revealed three more infants’ bodies in tote bags and a bucket, all concealed in the attic.

Mother’s Confession and Method

Interrogation Results:
- Mafi allegedly confessed to giving birth to all four infants at home and acknowledged concealing their deaths.
- She described having the most recent child about a year prior, detailing that, “the infant…made noises after birth before she wrapped it in a towel until it stopped moving. She then placed the body in the closet” ([01:31]).
- She admitted to suffocating two other infants in the same way and hiding them in the attic.
Notable Quote:
- Neighbor Carmen Felix expressed community horror, “How can you plop babies in a toilet? Yeah, it's just evil.” ([01:15])

Community and Investigation Response

Neighbors' Shock: Residents said they had no knowledge Mafi was pregnant, describing her as a “normal, struggling single mom” ([02:11]).
Legal Proceedings:
- Mafi is held without bail, facing at least one homicide charge.
- Forensic reports and autopsies pending; more charges may follow.
- Her next court date: September 23rd.
Children’s Welfare: Her surviving sons, ages 6 and 8, are now under child protective services’ care.

2. Kentucky Cheerleader Newborn Case ([04:06]–[05:58])

Emergency Discovery

Overview:
- A separate case involved Laken Snelling, ex-UK cheerleader, discovered when a 911 call reported a newborn’s dead body in a college apartment closet.
Details:
- The infant was “cold to the touch” when officers arrived, suggesting the death had occurred hours before ([04:13]).
- Snelling was absent from the scene but soon located and taken into custody.

Confession & Investigation

Police Interviews:
- Snelling confessed to delivering the baby and hiding the evidence: “cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag and including the infant who was wrapped in a towel.” ([04:54])
- The father’s identity is unclear, with DNA samples taken from known acquaintances.
Legal Status:
- Charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering, and concealment of birth.
- Pleaded not guilty, on $100,000 bond, under house arrest with no ankle monitor.
- Upcoming court date: September 26th.
Autopsy: Preliminary results inconclusive; cause and manner of death still pending.

3. Social Reactions and Broader Context

Community Shock and Outrage

Neighbors and acquaintances in both cases expressed disbelief, emphasizing the tragic hiddenness of the mothers’ pregnancies and their apparent normalcy (“no idea [she] was ever even pregnant” – [02:11]).

Legal System Notes

Both mothers are facing severe legal consequences, with further actions awaiting forensic results.

4. Human Composting Law in New Jersey ([05:58]–[07:03])

Legislation: New Jersey legalized human composting, allowing remains to be turned into soil within 45 days.
Significance: Touted as a more eco-friendly burial option, quickly gaining popularity.
Tone: Host provides a lighter, slightly irreverent commentary on people “literally turning over a new leaf” ([06:13]) and “digging the change.”

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

[00:18] Elizabeth Germey (KDKA News): “It smelled very funny. It didn’t have a very potent smell when we first went in, but upstairs in the one specific bedroom, it did smell.”
[01:15] Carmen Felix (Neighbor): “How can you plop babies in a toilet? Yeah, it’s just evil.”
[01:31] Summary of Mafi’s confession: “The infant…made noises after birth before she wrapped it in a towel until it stopped moving. She then placed the body in the closet where it was finally found.”
[04:13] Officer Don Evans (Lexington PD): “One thing we know that a third party called the police or called 911 saying that they had found this baby.”
[04:54] Police report on Snelling’s confession: “Cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag and including the infant who was wrapped in a towel.”
[06:13] Host: “Forget being six feet under, now you can literally turn over a new leaf…it's an innovative way for people to give back to the planet.”

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|-----------| | Discovery of babies in PA home | 00:00–03:11 | | Kentucky cheerleader’s newborn case | 04:06–05:58 | | New Jersey human composting law | 05:58–07:03 |

Episode Tone and Style

Stark, urgent, and unflinching—fully in line with Nancy Grace’s approach. The coverage is empathetic to victims, horrified at the crimes, and insistent on justice and answers, with a touch of grim humor when addressing broader news.

For listeners: This episode is disturbing and tragic, but it highlights the crucial importance of vigilance and support for struggling individuals and families. It also underscores the criminal justice system’s role in both uncovering and prosecuting such hidden crimes.

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Transcript7 lines

[00:00]
A
CRIME Alert Hourly Update Breaking crime news now. I'm Jennifer Gould. The stench of death hung heavy in the air of a Pennsylvania home, a grim secret that was finally exposed after its occupant was evicted. Elizabeth Germey spoke to CBS KDKA News.
[00:18]
B
And it smelled very funny. It didn't have a very potent smell when we first went in, but upstairs in the one specific bedroom, it did smell.
[00:29]
A
When the landlord of the Cadogan Township property went to clean it, she was met with a smell so foul, it led her to a chilling discovery. The decomposing body of an infant wrapped in a towel inside a closet trash bag. That single horrifying find was just the beginning of a sickening investigation that would uncover three more tiny bodies, bringing the total now to four, and unravel a mother's dark confession. On September 13, the property owner called 911 to report the nauseating odor after she evicted 39 year old Jessica Mafi for non payment of rent. After the initial discovery, state police secured the scene and during a more extensive search, found three additional infant bodies in the attic. The remains were concealed in separate tote bags, one wrapped in a towel and trash bag, the other in a bucket. Mafi, a mom of two living sons, was brought in for questioning where she allegedly confessed to the concealed deaths. She told investigators she gave birth to all three infants at home. However, again, a fourth body has also just since been found. Neighbor Carmen Felix spoke to WTAE News. How can you plop babies in a toilet? Yeah, it's just evil. In a disturbing account, Mothy described giving birth to the most recent child about a year ago in the bathroom. The infant, she said, made noises after birth before she wrapped it in a towel until it stopped moving. She then placed the body in the closet where it was finally found. Police said Mafi also confessed to two earlier births in the same residence, admitting to suffocating each of those babies by wrapping them in towels before hiding their remains in the attic. Totes neighbors told local media they had no idea Mothi was ever even pregnant and that she seemed like a normal, struggling single mom. Mothee is currently held without bail in Armstrong County Jail, facing a homicide charge for at least one of the infants. Additional charges may follow pending forensic reports and autopsies. Mafi has been denied bond. Her next hearing is set for September 23rd. No word on a motive or who the father or fathers may be, as her current husband is behind bars. Matthie's two other children, ages 6 and 8, are now being cared for by child protective services. More crime and justice news after this.
[03:11]
B
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[03:40]
A
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[03:41]
B
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[04:07]
A
Washablesofas.Com a gut wrenching 911 call from an off campus apartment in Lexington, Kentucky tore the lid off a horrific secret, leading police to the discovery of a dead newborn baby and the arrest of a college cheerleader. The infant found hidden in a closet was described as, quote, cold to the touch, end quote. A detail that points to to a devastating timeline of events. The accused, 21 year old Laken Snelling, a former member of the University of Kentucky's stunt team, now faces felony charges in a case that has gripped the city. The grim call came in at 10.34am on August 27 from a residence on Park Avenue. Officer Don Evans spoke with Fox 56 News. One thing we know that a third party called the police or called 911 saying that they had found this baby. The caller's name was redacted in the transcript. Dispatchers logged the complaint. A dead body was found in a closet. Lexington police, responding with emergency fire and medical crews, quickly confirmed the worst. Inside a black trash bag in the closet, they found the infant's body wrapped in a towel. The coldness of the body suggested the baby had been dead for hours before the discovery was made. Snelling, who was not at the apartment when authorities arrived, was located nearby and transported to police headquarters for questioning. After she received medical treatment, she was arrested that same day. During police interviews, Snelling reportedly admitted to giving birth and then trying to conceal the evidence. Court docs reveal she confessed to, quote, cleaning any evidence, placing all cleaning items used inside of a black trash bag and including the infant who was wrapped in a towel, end quote. The identity of the baby's father remains a mystery, though authorities have reportedly obtained a DNA sample from one of Snelling's ex boyfriends, Isaiah Hall, a quarterback from another university, to determine paternity. Social media photos also show Snelling with another man, Connor Jordan, a former college basketball player, in what appeared to be a maternity shooting. A preliminary autopsy on the baby boy was inconclusive regarding the cause and manner of death. More tests are pending. Snelling was charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence and concealing the birth of an infant. She pleaded not guilty on September 2nd and was released on a $100,000 bond. Snelling is currently on house arrest at her parents home in Jefferson City, Tennessee, without an ankle monitor. Her preliminary hearing is set for September 26th. And finally, new Jersey is finally living up to its name, even in death. The Garden State just passed a law that legalizes human composting, a process that turns deceased loved ones into nutrient rich soil. Forget being six feet under, now you can literally turn over a new leaf. This eco friendly end of life option is a total game changer. People have been begging for a more natural approach to burials, even shipping their relatives out of state just to get this service. It's a growing trend that's about to get real big in Jersey with funeral homes getting ready to offer it to grieving families. The process takes a solid 45 days, but hey, you can't rush a good plot, right? While some might think it's a little dirt cheap, it's an innovative way for people to give back to the planet. This is one law that's sure to have some people digging the chains, don't you think? For the latest crime and justice news, follow the Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app and watch crime Stories with Nancy Grace on Fox One and YouTube and wherever you listen to your favorite podcast. With this Crime Alert, I'm Jennifer Gould. This is an iHeart podcast.