GADSDEN, AL – A funeral director says he felt a “level of shock” unlike anything in his career when a baby girl’s body was found in a hearse on Saturday morning.
The discovery was made after a groundskeeper at West Gadsden Funeral Home moved the vehicle and saw the child in the back, police said. Investigators allege that 29-year-old Terica Pearl placed the infant there sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning.
Funeral home director Dantez Robinson and city officials spoke publicly about the case before Pearl’s arrest on Sunday, calling for accountability and a proper burial for the child. Robinson said he is committed to ensuring the baby is laid to rest with dignity.
Authorities have charged Pearl in connection with the death, though further details on the cause of death have not yet been released.
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Key Points
- Baby’s body found in hearse at West Gadsden Funeral Home on Saturday
- Police say 29-year-old Terica Pearl placed the infant there overnight
- Funeral director pledges to give the child a proper burial
