On November 16, 2023, Douglas County Judge Patricia D. Herron sentenced Peyton M. Green, 22, to 40 years in the Department of Corrections for the death of her newborn which had been found stuffed in a bag in a bathroom cabinet at her home.
On September 26, 2020, Green arrived at the UCHealth Highlands Ranch emergency room with concerns over vaginal bleeding. The patient consented to a Sexual Assault Nurses Examination, commonly referred to as a SANE exam. During the exam, medical staff found Peyton had extensive vaginal lacerations consistent with giving birth. Blood work showed Peyton was pregnant. Through an ultrasound, doctors confirmed that Green’s cervix was dilated, consistent with a pregnancy.
The defendant denied ever having intercourse or having a child. The case was reported to the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies went to Green’s home and with her father’s permission, they searched the house for a newborn baby. A baby’s lifeless body was found inside a tan grocery store bag underneath a towel in the cabinets below a bathroom sink.
Further investigation found Green had an ex-boyfriend in Colorado Springs. Detectives met with the ex-boyfriend who stated that he and Green had had previous sexual intercourse. A search of Green’s phone also found text messages where she stated to both her ex-boyfriend and another friend that she was pregnant. This contradicted statements Green told medical staff and sheriff’s deputies about never having sex or being pregnant.
On November 16, 2023, Green pleaded guilty to Child Abuse-Knowingly and Recklessly Causing Death, a class 2 felony offense.
“This defendant attempted to conceal a murder by lying to her parents, law enforcement, and medical staff,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Chris Gallo said. “In the end, the evidence is indisputable. Blood work, an ultrasound, and surgery to repair Green’s injuries confirmed she was pregnant.”
Doctors noted that during surgery, they found a placenta which develops in the uterus during pregnancy.
“This is a sad and tragic case,” Douglas County Sheriff Darren Weekly said. “Our Special Victims Unit Detectives worked tirelessly to uncover the truth behind what happened. I commend them as well at the District Attorney’s Office for their effort.”
An autopsy was performed on the infant and the official Coroner’s report indicated this was a live birth.
“Had this mother told the truth about her pregnancy or called for help after giving birth, this tragedy may have been avoided,” District Attorney John Kellner said. “There were multiple ways to handle an unwanted or unexpected pregnancy, but her selfish and deceitful actions to hide a birth by dumping her newborn’s body in a bag like a piece of trash certainly warrants a lengthy prison sentence.”