A mother charged with abandoning her newborn in subfreezing temperatures after giving birth in the woods of New Hampshire was given a suspended sentence Thursday, with the condition that she attend regular mental health counseling.
In August, jurors found 27-year-old Alexandra Eckersley, the daughter of baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley, guilty of reckless conduct, endangering the welfare of a child and falsifying evidence, but not guilty of assault charges. On Thursday she received separate sentences - a year for the falsifying evidence charge and six months for the endangerment charge, both suspended provided she meet the court's conditions.
She had testified during her trial earlier this year that she didn’t know she was pregnant and thought the child had died after she gave birth on Christmas night in 2022. A psychologist testified that Eckersley was suffering from substance use disorder and mental health and developmental issues, and that she wasn’t receiving treatment.
Eckersley was homeless at the time and gave birth in a tent in Manchester, New Hampshire. During the trial prosecutors said her son survived when he was left alone for more than an hour, suffering from respiratory distress and hypothermia as temperatures dipped to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.
The Eckersley family released a statement shortly after she was arrested, saying they had no prior knowledge of her pregnancy and were in complete shock. The family said she has suffered from “severe mental illness her entire life” and that they did their very best to get her help and support.
Dennis Eckersley was drafted by Cleveland out of high school in 1972 and went on to pitch 24 seasons for Cleveland, Boston, Chicago, Oakland and St. Louis.
