Melissa Drexler
Encyclopedia
Melissa Drexler gained infamy for delivering a baby in a restroom stall at her high school
prom
and putting the body in the trash before returning to the dance. She pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter
, and was sentenced to fifteen years of imprisonment. After serving nearly 37 months, she was released on parole
.
Drexler attended Lacey Township High School
in Forked River, New Jersey
. Over the course of nearly nine months she kept her pregnancy secret from the baby's father, her parents and classmates. Five feet seven inches tall, and weighing 60 kg (130 pounds), she apparently showed no signs of her pregnancy.
On June 6, 1997, Drexler gave birth in a toilet stall at her senior prom. She then retrieved the baby from the toilet bowl, cut the umbilical cord
on the serrated edge of a sanitary napkin
dispenser, wrapped the baby in several garbage sacks, and deposited the bundle in a trash can. She then returned to the dance floor.
The baby was discovered by a janitor
who responded to reports of blood in the restroom and who became suspicious of the weight of the trash bag. Emergency workers attempted to resuscitate the baby for two hours.
Originally charged with murder
, Drexler pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter
on August 20, 1998, and Judge John A. Ricciardi sentenced her to 15 years in prison, the maximum penalty. On November 26, 2001, she was released on parole after serving a little over three years.
The Nickelback
song "Throw Yourself Away", which appeared on their 2003 album The Long Road
, is about Drexler. The case, along with that of Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson
, also inspired the Family Guy
musical number Prom Night Dumpster Baby in the episode Airport '07
.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
prom
Prom
In the United States and Canada, a prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance, or gathering of high school students. It is typically held near the end of the senior year. It figures greatly in popular culture and is a major event among high school students...
and putting the body in the trash before returning to the dance. She pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, and was sentenced to fifteen years of imprisonment. After serving nearly 37 months, she was released on parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
.
Drexler attended Lacey Township High School
Lacey Township High School
Lacey Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Lacey Township, in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Lacey Township School District. The school opened its doors in September 1981. Residents of Lacey Township previously attended Central...
in Forked River, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Over the course of nearly nine months she kept her pregnancy secret from the baby's father, her parents and classmates. Five feet seven inches tall, and weighing 60 kg (130 pounds), she apparently showed no signs of her pregnancy.
On June 6, 1997, Drexler gave birth in a toilet stall at her senior prom. She then retrieved the baby from the toilet bowl, cut the umbilical cord
Umbilical cord
In placental mammals, the umbilical cord is the connecting cord from the developing embryo or fetus to the placenta...
on the serrated edge of a sanitary napkin
Sanitary napkin
A sanitary napkin, sanitary towel, sanitary pad, menstrual pad, maxi pad, or pad is an absorbent item worn by a woman while she is menstruating, recovering from vaginal surgery, for lochia , abortion, or any other situation where it is necessary to absorb a flow of blood from a woman's vagina.These...
dispenser, wrapped the baby in several garbage sacks, and deposited the bundle in a trash can. She then returned to the dance floor.
The baby was discovered by a janitor
Janitor
A janitor or custodian is a professional who takes care of buildings, such as hospitals and schools. Janitors are responsible primarily for cleaning, and often some maintenance and security...
who responded to reports of blood in the restroom and who became suspicious of the weight of the trash bag. Emergency workers attempted to resuscitate the baby for two hours.
Originally charged with murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
, Drexler pled guilty to aggravated manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
on August 20, 1998, and Judge John A. Ricciardi sentenced her to 15 years in prison, the maximum penalty. On November 26, 2001, she was released on parole after serving a little over three years.
The Nickelback
Nickelback
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band from Hanna, Alberta. Since 1995 the band has included guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, guitarist and back-up vocalist Ryan Peake and bassist Mike Kroeger.. The band's current drummer and percussionist is Daniel Adair who has been with the band since 2005....
song "Throw Yourself Away", which appeared on their 2003 album The Long Road
The Long Road
The Long Road is the second major album by Canadian rock band Nickelback, released on September 23, 2003.The album was certified 3x Platinum by the RIAA in March 2005 and it had sold 3,591,000 copies as of April 2011. It has sold over 5 million copies worldwide and in 2003 only the album sold 2...
, is about Drexler. The case, along with that of Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson
Amy Grossberg and Brian Peterson
Amy S. Grossberg delivered a baby at a Comfort Inn in Newark, Delaware, in November 1996, assisted only by her then-boyfriend Brian C. Peterson, who later threw the baby into a dumpster...
, also inspired the Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
musical number Prom Night Dumpster Baby in the episode Airport '07
Airport '07
"Airport '07" is the twelfth episode of season five of Family Guy. The episode originally broadcast on March 4, 2007. The plot follows Quagmire being dismissed from his job as a pilot after Peter decided to remove the airplane fueling hose prematurely...
.