Esperanza Rae Harding (Hennepin County Sheriff's Office) A 20-year-old Minnesota mom is facing charges for the alleged drowning of her own child a
A 20-year-old Minnesota mom is facing charges for the alleged drowning of her own child and disposing of the baby’s
According to court records filed on Friday in Hennepin County, Esperanza Rae Harding, 20, is charged with one count of second-degree murder.
The investigation into the disappearance of the child led the authorities to Children’s Hospital on March 6.
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Harding initially claimed that her child had died of natural causes at the hospital, but there was no record of the child being admitted or passing away there. These conflicting statements raised suspicions among law enforcement officials, prompting them to dig deeper into the case.
“Given the suspicious nature of the defendant’s claim, officers sat down for an interview with the defendant,” the complaint said. “Eventually, the defendant admitted that victim did not die at the hospital, but in fact, died at a hotel in Bloomington on February 28, 2024.”
According to the complaint, Harding claimed in an interview with Bloomington police that she killed the child because the man she was dating disliked him and wanted her to place the boy for adoption.
According to court documents, one count of aiding an offender has been brought against her boyfriend, Edwin Trudeau.
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During the investigation, authorities uncovered a series of text messages that shed further light on the mindset of the accused.
Harding had exchanged messages with her 18-year-old boyfriend, Edwin Trudeau. These messages revealed a disturbing conversation, where Harding expressed her intentions and sought Trudeau’s response.
Police also found a picture of the child floating facedown in the tub on her phone, according to KSTP.
“Im about to do something bad, Please answer me, He going to no be here much longer,” Harding texted Trudeau.
His chilling response, “Ok that’s Ok,” only added to the sense of horror surrounding this case.
Harding claimed that after drowning their child, Trudeau came to the hotel room and attempted to resuscitate the lifeless body with CPR. Their efforts were in vain, and tragically, no emergency services were called for help. Instead, Trudeau allegedly encouraged Harding to dispose of the child’s body, which they placed in a backpack and disposed of in a dumpster.
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As the investigation unfolded, it became apparent that Harding and Trudeau had made a pact to protect each other at all costs. Trudeau allegedly urged Harding to remain silent and emphasized their shared fate, stating, “If you go down, I go down no matter what.”
Both Harding and Trudeau now face charges related to the death of the child. Harding has been charged with second-degree murder, while Trudeau faces charges of aiding an offender after the fact.
As of Friday, police hadn’t yet found the child’s body, the complaint states.
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