MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The man accused of putting a newborn baby into a dumpster behind a Whitehaven business appeared in court on Thursday morning. Investigators identified 47 year-old James Boothe Jr. as the man seen on video putting a newborn in a dumpster. The baby’s lifeless body was discovered on Monday. Officers say this all happened when a 16-year-old was on her way to the hospital to give birth Monday morning. Detectives say Boothe was with her before putting the baby in the dumpster. As court was called to order on Thursday morning, the judge wasted no time in the first step of the criminal trial process, which is an arraignment hearing, following Booth’s arrest days earlier. “You are set to be arraigned today on a charge of abuse of a corpse,” said Judge Sheila Bruce-Renfro. The owner of the Whitehaven business where the dumpster is located said he pulled the trash bag with the lifeless newborn’s body out of it and turned the security footage over to the police. “I go out to check what’s going on there because I have the camera. I look all the time, what’s going there,” said Singh Jeet Guraya. “Then I go jump in the garbage and took the bag out and hand it over to the fire department. They look at it and there is a body inside.” In court, Boothe showed very little emotion, if any at all, and said very little to the judge except when telling the court he was unable to afford counsel. A public defender appointed to the case spoke briefly with his new client before the Boothe was escorted back into lockup. The judge told Boothe he could spend 1 to 6 years in prison if convicted. For now, he is being held on a $250,000 bond. That bond is set for review on Friday morning. Court records say the 16-year-old admitted to being in a relationship with 45-year-old Boothe for three years. According to his criminal history, back in 1994, he was charged with First-Degree Murder and sentenced to 25 years in prison. More charges may be forthcoming with his recent case. It is also worth mentioning that the State of Tennessee does not have a safe haven law, which allows mothers to anonymously surrender unharmed babies within two weeks of birth at designated facilities.
#memphistn #jamesboothe #crime #teen #crimestory #crimetok