What to Know
- Baby Jane Doe was found July 27 near Interstate 15 in Corona.
- A funeral was held by the community and law enforcement for Baby Jane Doe.
- The two pleaded guilty and face potential life sentences.
A Southern California couple who killed their newborn daughter and left her body in a cardboard box have pleaded guilty to murder.
Eighteen-year-old Joshua Benson of Corona and 23-year-old Shawna Andritch entered pleas Tuesday to first-degree and second-degree murder, respectively. Each faces a potential life sentence.
Prosecutors say the couple killed the newborn last year, then wrapped her body in a T-shirt and placed her in a box with a blanket and a stuffed animal.
The newborn girl known as "Baby Jane Doe" was found by a landscaper July 27 in the area of Cajalco Road and Interstate 15 in Corona. She was wrapped in a T-shirt with a stripe and flower pattern inside a cardboard box.
Andritch and Benson were interviewed in connection with the infant's death Dec. 7.
A funeral was held Dec. 6 for "Baby Jane Doe," as Corona police officers and firefighters along with community members buried the infant at Sunnyslope Cemetery.
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After the funeral, detectives said they received a tip about the case. That tip led them to Andritch and Benson.
Statements made during an interview led to their arrests, police said.
Authorities reminded the community during the December funeral that parents can safely surrender infants within 72 hours of birth, no questions asked, at police stations, fire stations and hospitals.
