16 Apr, 2007
Confused and helpless
Teen mom stabs baby 135 times
Stillwater, Minnesota - A 17-year-old girl stabbed her newborn baby 135 times in a "panic state" and then tossed her body in a garbage can outside her home in this Midwestern state, authorities said.
The high school senior told police she gave birth on the floor of the laundry room in her home last Monday, according to court documents.
Nicole Marie Beecroft said she saw the baby's finger move and then stabbed the child in a "panic state", the complaint said.
An autopsy determined the infant was born alive, but suffered numerous puncture wounds in the chest area and bled to death from 135 sharp-force injuries, the complaint said.
"She kills the baby and now her life will be changed forever," Washington County Attorney Doug Johnson said on Thursday.
Beecroft was charged with first-degree, or premeditated, murder and was being held in a juvenile detention facility. She was scheduled to make her first court appearance on Friday.
The girl's mother told police she did not know her overweight daughter was pregnant. The Beecroft family does not have a listed phone number.
Authorities were tipped off on Tuesday when an anonymous caller told police that a cashier at a Cub Foods grocery store in St Paul had given birth to a stillborn baby and threw it in the garbage at her home.
The investigation led to Beecroft's home, where they found the baby's body inside a trash bag outside on Tuesday. Inside the trash bag, investigators also found a black-handled knife and some towels, according to the complaint.
photo courtesy AP & story news24.com, 04/13/07
Matthew 9:35-38 (NLT)
The Need for Workers
35 Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 He said to his disciples,
What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about the compassion of Jesus?
Everyone has a story. Sadly, many people have a story that is filled with a twisted plot and a tragic theme. Nicole, the girl who has been charged with killing her baby seems to fit Matthew's description of someone who is like a "sheep without a shepherd".
Jesus feels great compassion for people who have problems so great that they don't know how to get help, or they are so down, they don't respond to help that is available. He wants to bring healing and hope to their lives through His love, forgiveness and power.
The amazing thing is that He wants to use us. Jesus said we should pray for people to respond to His need for workers. Quite often, when we pray for something, God uses us to answer our own prayers! He wants us to see the need and trust Him to empower us to meet the needs of others.
Many people are ready for the turning point in their life story. They will give their lives to Christ if someone shows them and tells them God's Story.
Are you willing to be that person?
How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?
- Thank God that He sent Jesus to rewrite your life story. Praise Him for the fact that you know your story will have a happy ending - living with God in Heaven forever! Ask His Spirit to empower you with Christ's compassion for those who are hurting and feel helpless. Pray that people will respond to the need for being God's workers. Ask Jesus to give you a willing, humble heart to be one of those workers.
- For the next few weeks, whenever you see a baby or a picture of a newborn infant, let it be a reminder of Jesus calling you to reach out to those who are confused and helpless.
- Write a note of thanks to someone who showed Christ's compassion to you at a time when you may have felt confused and helpless.
How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?
- Pray specifically for Nicole, the girl in Minnesota who is charged with killing her baby. (Just think about what could happen if thousands of DAILYBIDE readers pray for her!)
- At least once a week, be intentional about showing Christ's compassion to someone who is confused and hurting, without expecting anything in return.
- With your youth group or small group, come up with a strategy for reaching out to those who are confused and helpless in your school and neighborhood.
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