Mother guilty in death of baby

A Michigan college student admitted Monday in Jefferson County Court that she caused the death of her newborn son in a Watertown hotel room and then disposed of the child's body in a trash can.

Andrea M. Kline, 22, Flint, Mich., pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, tampering with physical evidence and endangering the welfare of a child. The plea cancels a trial that was set to begin today.

She had been accused of causing the child's death Feb. 5, 2007, in a room at the Best Western Carriage House Inn, 300 Washington St. The child died of blunt force trauma that caused a skull fracture and bleeding on the brain. The body was then disposed of in an adjoining room.

She is expected to be sentenced Aug. 4 to a year in jail at the Metro-Jefferson Public Safety Building, followed by five years' probation supervision.

Miss Kline, a senior finance major at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, was in Watertown to visit the child's father, Kevin A. Padilla, a soldier stationed at Fort Drum. Mr. Padilla was in the shower during the birth and subsequent events.

District Attorney Cindy F. Intschert said Mr. Padilla was to be called as a witness for the prosecution at trial. She said Miss Kline hid her pregnancy from Mr. Padilla, family members and friends.

Mrs. Intschert said Miss Kline told Mr. Padilla she was experiencing severe menstrual cramps and "literally ordered him out of the room."

Miss Kline's defense attorney, James R. McGraw, Syracuse, said he does not believe Mr. Padilla could have been present in the room but oblivious to the birth occurring.

"Do I buy it? Absolutely not," he said.

However, he said Miss Kline chose to take responsibility for her actions, which he said were negligent, but unintentional.

"She never intended to hurt anyone," Mr. McGraw said.

He said she has suffered from depression since the incident and is attending weekly psychological therapy. She will complete course work for her bachelor's degree June 28.

Mrs. Intschert said she is satisfied with the plea, as Miss Kline pleaded guilty to each of the counts against her contained in a grand jury indictment.

"Clearly, it was a completely unexpected result," she said of the guilty plea. "We anticipated that it would go to trial."

Miss Kline initially had been charged by Watertown police with second-degree murder and unlawful disposition of a body, but the grand jury returned charges of criminally negligent homicide and tampering with physical evidence, both non-violent felonies, and endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.

She remains free on $50,000 bail while awaiting sentencing.