LEXINGTON, S.C. — A 27-year-old woman has been sentenced to 22 years in prison in connection to the death of her newborn infant in August 2018.
Brennan H. Geller had previously pleaded guilty to the charge of Homicide by Child Abuse in Lexington County Court. Under South Carolina law, Geller will not be eligible for parole.
According to court records, on August 4, 2018, staff at Lexington Medical Center notified the Lexington County Sheriff's Department that a family member of Geller had found an infant dead in a trash bag inside Geller's Jeep Laredo. An autopsy performed on the child determined the baby was born at full term, greater than 37 weeks gestation, and weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces. Evidence of air in the infant's lungs and other indicators proved that the baby was born alive.
LCSD Major Crimes Unit investigators found that Geller had kept her pregnancy a secret from her family and friends, including her boyfriend, and was able to piece together a timeline of events leading up to the discovery of the deceased child.
According to detectives, the then-21-year-old Geller left work early on August 3 and drove to a parking lot in West Columbia. Data extraction from her phone showed web activity that confirmed Geller knew she was in labor. At 10:35 a.m., Geller searched "what to expect while in labor," and at 7:59 p.m., she searched "when do contractions stop?"
Geller gave birth while in her Jeep, without any form of medical assistance. She allegedly used scissors to cut the umbilical cord and then placed the newborn in a trash bag.
At 8:30 p.m., Geller told her boyfriend she was still at work, but she had sought treatment at Lexington Medical Center for complications that arose after the delivery. After denying having recently given birth to the medical team and law enforcement, a search of her vehicle led to the discovery of the scissors and towel Geller used during the birthing process. The infant was discovered later.
The father of the victim, Edwin Taylor, found out about the infant's birth only after the investigation began and then fought for paternal rights in order to give his daughter a proper burial.
Taylor testified in court, saying, “I was never given the opportunity to hold her in my arms, I only get to hold her in my heart. It breaks my heart knowing that she’s not here on earth right now with me making some of the childhood memories a father and daughter should be making at 5 years old.”
South Carolina law does provide for the safe surrender of a child under Daniel's Law. A parent cannot be prosecuted for abandonment if he or she takes a baby to a designated Safe Haven—a hospital, outpatient medical facility, fire station, EMS station, or staffed houses of worship.