Brennan H. Geller, 27, has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for the death of her newborn daughter, Kimberly Faith Taylor. Chief Administrative Judge Walton J. McLeod, IV imposed the sentence following Geller’s guilty plea to Homicide by Child Abuse in Lexington County.

Under South Carolina law, Geller will not be eligible for parole. In the early morning hours of August 4, 2018, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department (LCSD) was notified by Lexington Medical Center that an infant had been found deceased in a trash bag inside the Jeep Laredo vehicle belonging to Ms. Geller. The infant was discovered by a family member of Brennan Geller hours after being placed into the bag. An autopsy determined that air was present in the infant’s lungs, along with other indications of a live birth. Doctors determined that the infant was full term, greater than 37 weeks gestation. She weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces.

An investigation conducted by the LCSD Major Crimes Unit determined that Geller left work early on August 3, 2018 and went to a parking lot located in the West Columbia area. Web history from her phone extraction confirmed that she knew she was in labor.

A web search from her phone at 10:35 am on August 3rd reflected “what to expect while in labor.” Then nine hours later, at 7:59 pm, she searched “when do contractions stop.” The law enforcement investigation confirmed that Geller secretly gave birth while in her vehicle, without any form of medical assistance. Geller was a 2015 high school graduate and a student at Midlands Technical College when the act occurred.

The investigation determined that Geller repeatedly denied her pregnancy to friends and acquaintances, including her boyfriend. At 8:30 pm on the night of August 3rd, Geller told her boyfriend that she was still at work, although she had left work hours beforehand.

After giving birth, Geller used scissors to cut the umbilical cord and placed the infant into a trash bag. Doctors would have testified at trial that suffocation could occur under these circumstances. Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher determined that the manner of death was a homicide. Geller was later treated at Lexington Medical Center for complications which arose after the delivery. When questioned by medical staff and a law enforcement investigator, Geller initially denied giving birth. A search of her vehicle by law enforcement officers led to the discovery of scissors and towels used during the birthing process. Medical experts would have testified at trial that the infant appeared healthy and there were no signs of congenital defects.

During the sentencing hearing, the father of the victim, Edwin Taylor, addressed the Court. Geller had previously denied that she was pregnant and Edwin Taylor only learned of the pregnancy after the law enforcement investigation began. Taylor then fought for paternal rights in order to give his daughter a proper burial. Taylor named his daughter Kimberly Faith.

“I was never given the opportunity to hold her in my arms, I only get to hold her in my heart,” Taylor expressed to the Court. “It breaks my heart knowing that she’s not here on earth right now with me making some of the childhood memories a father and daughter should be making at 5 years old.” This case was prosecuted by Eleventh Circuit Deputy Solicitor Suzanne Mayes, Assistant Solicitor Whitney Yongue Taylor, and Assistant Solicitor Gabrielle Williams. Geller is being transferred to the S.C. Department of Corrections to begin immediate service of her sentence.

Under the Safe Haven for Abandoned Babies Act, also known as Daniel’s Law, a person who abandons a newborn in South Carolina cannot be prosecuted for abandonment if he or she takes the baby to a Safe Haven. Safe Havens include hospitals, outpatient medical facilities, fire stations, EMS stations, and staffed houses of worship. Daniel’s Law is intended to save infants, it is not intended to punish anyone