'What have I done?!': Mom walked to funeral home with murdered 1-year-old at 2:30 a.m. to place body in hearse, cops say

An Alabama parent accused of dumping her dormant 1-year-old girl successful a hearse astatine a ceremonial location earlier this period allegedly began screaming "Oh my god, what person I done?!" portion being interviewed by constabulary astir the slaying, prosecutors say.

Terica Pearl, 29, of Gadsden, is accused of discarding her daughter, Blessence Pearl, astatine the West Gadsden Funeral Home sometime betwixt Aug. 8 and Aug. 9 aft strangling the toddler with a "thick robe string," according to section police.

The ceremonial home's manager says helium experienced a "level of shock" that helium had ne'er felt earlier erstwhile helium recovered Blessence wrong the hearse. Police were called that Saturday morning, Aug. 9, aft a groundskeeper went to determination the conveyance and located the child's assemblage successful the back, NBC affiliate WVTM reported. City officials and the funeral home director, Dantez Robinson, spoke to AL.com and different outlets astir the disturbing find earlier Pearl was arrested the pursuing day.

The pistillate appeared successful tribunal connected Aug. 22 successful Etowah County connected a complaint of superior murder, and prosecutors laid retired the allegations against her, according to section Fox affiliate WBRC.

"You tin spot wherever the drawstring was ripped from the garment," said Gadsden Police Sgt. Nick Keener, pb investigator, during Pearl's preliminary proceeding astir the robe drawstring she allegedly utilized to termination Blessence.

Love existent crime? Sign up for our newsletter, The Law&Crime Docket, to get the latest real-life transgression stories delivered close to your inbox.

Authorities allegedly recovered the robe and surveillance video that shows a pistillate — identified by prosecutors arsenic Pearl — walking successful the country astir the West Gadsden Funeral Home the time Blessence was found, clutching a babe successful her arms, WBRC reports, citing grounds from the Friday hearing. The footage allegedly shows Pearl walking southbound toward the ceremonial location astatine astir 2:30 a.m. earlier she goes retired of view. She is seen again astir 2 and a fractional hours later, walking backmost without a child, according to cops and prosecutors.

Pearl was reportedly crying during the Friday proceedings arsenic her daughter's information was described successful court. Prosecutors alleged that Pearl strangled the miss with a robe drawstring with the aforesaid thickness arsenic a shoelace. Keener said Pearl allegedly told constabulary that she felt "compelled" to locomotion to the ceremonial location that day, claiming she felt Blessence would beryllium harmless there, WBRC reports.

Pearl's attorney, Shaun Malone, argued that determination is insufficient grounds to beryllium her guilt. He requested that authorities records beryllium released from the Alabama Department of Human Resources related to Blessence and Pearl, which helium claimed would shed much airy connected what happened.

"Those records would beryllium illuminous to however we each got present today," Malone said, per WBRC.

Gadsden officials person told section outlets that the Pearl lawsuit has been "tough" for those involved, including officers.

"To bash this," Robinson told AL.com aft Blessence was found, "you're sick successful the head."

Robinson, who is besides the area's adjunct coroner, said helium has seen macabre and disturbing things implicit the years, but this rivals each of it. He plans to laic Blessence to remainder utilizing his ain wealth and resources.

"To spot thing similar this truly sent maine into different level of shock," helium told AL.com. "We privation this babe to person justice."