On September 1, 2023, Lasasha Gouldbourne, 31, gave birth to a premature baby girl in a bathroom in the Allerton neighborhood of the Bronx. Instead of seeking medical care, Gouldbourne allegedly placed the newborn into a laundry bag filled with clothes and brought the bag to her mother's home a few blocks away, handing it over without disclosing its contents. The maternal grandmother later discovered the unconscious newborn inside the bag and called 911. EMS transported the infant to Montefiore Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. The city medical examiner determined the cause of death to be asphyxiation due to smothering and ruled the manner of death a homicide. When Gouldbourne was taken into custody, she was found to still be carrying a fraternal twin, a baby boy, who was delivered via emergency C-section. Gouldbourne was subsequently hospitalized under psychiatric care for approximately three months before being arrested in late January 2024 and charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault, and acting in a manner injurious to a child.
Contexts/Conditions
Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?
Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?
Is there any mention of a firearm incident?
Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?
Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)
The NY Daily News article states: "The baby died from asphyxiation due to smothering and her manner of death was determined to be a homicide, according to the city medical examiner's office." The mother's act of stuffing the newborn into a laundry bag directly resulted in the baby being smothered, which constitutes an inflicted injury. Smothering is closely analogous to choking, which is listed as an example of inflicted injury.
Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?
Is there any mention of medical neglect?
The NY Daily News article states Gouldbourne gave birth to a "premature baby girl" and instead of seeking medical attention, she stuffed the newborn into a laundry bag with clothes and brought the bag to her mother's home. A premature newborn receiving no medical care at all and being placed in a bag constitutes medical neglect, though the term is not used explicitly.
Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?
Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?
Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?
Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?
Is there any mention of sexual abuse?
Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?
Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?
Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?
Individuals Involved
Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?
Was a biological father involved in the death?
Was a biological mother involved in the death?
All three documents identify Lasasha Gouldbourne as the biological mother who gave birth to the baby girl and is charged with manslaughter. The NY Daily News states: "Gouldbourne is accused of stuffing the newborn in a laundry bag with her clothes and bringing the girl to her mother's home."
Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?
Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?
Was a foster parent involved in the death?
Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?
Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)
Was a sibling involved in the death?
Child Characteristics
Was the child adopted?
Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?
Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?
Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?
Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)
Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)
Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?
The NY Daily News article explicitly states Gouldbourne's "alleged actions after giving birth to a premature baby girl." The word "premature" directly indicates prematurity.
Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?
The NY Daily News article states: "Gouldbourne is a mentally ill drug addict who previously had four children taken away from her, sources said." Having four children removed strongly implies prior child protection reports and CPS involvement with siblings, even though specific reports are not named.
Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?
Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?
Parent/Caregiver Factors
Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?
All three documents confirm Gouldbourne was arrested and charged. The NY Daily News states: "Lasasha Gouldbourne, 31, was arrested Tuesday for manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, assault and acting in a manner injurious to a child."
Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?
Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?
The NY Daily News article states: "Gouldbourne is a mentally ill drug addict" and further notes: "After giving birth, Gouldbourne was hospitalized under psychiatric care for three months." Both statements explicitly reference the parent's mental health status.
Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?
Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?
The NY Daily News article states: "Gouldbourne is a mentally ill drug addict who previously had four children taken away from her, sources said." This explicitly references substance use by the parent/caregiver.
Notable Details
Several substantive details are worth noting: (1) The NY Daily News reports that Gouldbourne was carrying fraternal twins; after the baby girl was found in the bag, Gouldbourne "complained of pains and was taken to Montefiore Medical Center, where she gave birth to a second child — a baby boy who is fraternal twin to the girl who died — following an emergency Caesarean section." (2) Gouldbourne "previously had four children taken away from her," indicating a significant prior child welfare history. (3) After giving birth to the twin boy, "Gouldbourne was hospitalized under psychiatric care for three months. When she was released from the hospital earlier this week she was taken into custody and charged with manslaughter" — meaning there was a roughly four-month delay between the incident and the arrest due to her psychiatric hospitalization. (4) There is a notable discrepancy between sources: Documents 1 and 2 state the birth occurred at a friend's apartment, while Document 3 (Audacy/1010 WINS) states it occurred in "her mother's Bronx Park East apartment bathroom."
These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.