Illinois – In a chilling case out of Illinois, a 36-year-old mother, identified as N. Pokrzywa, and a 38-year-old father, identified as W. Cosmen, stand accused of burying their newborn daughter in a backyard beer box after failing to dispose of her body down a toilet drain. The couple has been charged with one count of desecration of a corpse, and despite the nature of the allegations, the charge is currently classified as a non-detainable offense under state law. Consequently, both suspects were processed at the county’s adult detention facility over the weekend and released with a Notice to Appear for a future court date.
Authorities say the charges stem from the disturbing concealment of a premature infant’s remains. Although the full autopsy results are still pending, initial findings by the coroner’s office confirmed the infant was between 22 and 27 weeks gestation—making her around six-and-a-half months old at the time of birth. Further biological testing is underway to determine whether the child was born alive, and additional charges may follow depending on those results.
On December 4, 2025, sheriff’s detectives received a tip about a possible unreported infant death and clandestine burial at the couple’s property. The informant indicated that a woman had given birth in October 2024 and that the child had been buried on site. Detectives secured a warrant after gathering corroborating evidence. The next morning, police detained Pokrzywa and Cosmen while executing a search of the property. Investigators identified a burial site marked by a large rock. When crime scene personnel began excavating the area, they dug down about three feet and uncovered a beer box. Inside the box, wrapped in cloth and a plastic bag, were the remains of a newborn baby girl.
In their subsequent interviews, both Pokrzywa and Cosmen admitted to the burial and described the events that led up to it. They told detectives that the child was delivered at home. Pokrzywa had given birth directly into a toilet. Cosmen then attempted to force the newborn’s body down the toilet using a plunger. When it became clear the roughly 7-pound infant would not fit, the couple left her body in the toilet overnight. The next day, they removed the baby, wrapped her in a cloth and a plastic bag, and drove her to the property. There, they dug a hole in the backyard roughly three feet wide and four feet deep, placed the infant’s body inside the beer box, and buried it.
The coroner’s office performed an autopsy on December 6. Due to the infant’s condition, a definitive cause of death could not yet be established. However, the age estimate of the fetus suggests that viability outside the womb was possible, further intensifying the gravity of the case. Currently, Pokrzywa and Cosmen face one felony count each for desecrating a corpse. However, due to the classification of this crime under Illinois law as non-detainable, both were released from custody after processing at the adult detention facility. They were each issued a Notice to Appear in court.
The Attorney’s Office has not ruled out additional charges. Authorities confirmed that the investigation remains open pending the results of further forensic testing. Should medical findings confirm that the child was born alive, more severe charges could follow. While the case currently centers around the unlawful burial and concealment of a corpse, it has already drawn significant public attention due to the harrowing details described by both suspects. The revelation that the parents first attempted to dispose of their child using a plunger before burying her has deeply unsettled even seasoned investigators. As of now, the community awaits further findings while the legal process unfolds. The question of whether this child ever took a breath—and whether that will change the course of justice—remains unanswered.
