20-year-old Jessica Ross and her boyfriend Treveon Isaiah Taylor, Sr. were eagerly awaiting the birth of their first child July 9 but were devastated to learn that not only did their baby not survive the delivery, he was tragically decapitated in the process. 

Ms. Ross and Mr. Taylor will today announce that they have filed a lawsuit against the doctor, the hospital, several nurses and the medical group who delivered their decapitated baby. 

During the attempted vaginal delivery, the baby’s shoulders got stuck in the vaginal canal (shoulder dystocia). 

The complaint alleges that the obstetrician, Tracey St. Julian, M.D., negligently applied excessive force on the baby’s head and neck during the attempted vaginal delivery resulting in the baby’s decapitation. It also alleges that Dr. St. Julian and the hospital nurses failed to do a Cesarean section on Mr. Ross in a timely manner, failed to call in a timely manner to get help from other healthcare providers as well as other allegations.

According to the complaint, the baby's legs and torso were delivered through the incision in Ms. Ross’ uterus without the head. The baby’s head was then delivered vaginally. 

In the complaint, Ms. Ross and Mr. Taylor also allege that the doctor and the hospital engaged in intentional fraud and an attempt to coverup the fact that their baby was decapitated. More specifically, the complaint contends that Dr. Tracey St. Julian purposefully did not tell Ms. Ross and Mr. Taylor that their baby had been decapitated when she initially spoke with the couple a few hours after the delivery. 

Also, healthcare workers at the hospital knowingly lied to the young couple by falsely telling them that a free autopsy was not an option for them under the circumstances. The complaint alleges that this false information was given to avoid a forensic autopsy and to obstruct the gathering of evidence. 

Furthermore, the complaint alleges that healthcare providers at the hospital pressured the young couple to cremate their baby in an attempt to destroy evidence. 

When the Ms. Ross and Mr. Taylor demanded to see and hold their baby, hospital staff told them that they were not allowed to touch or hold their child. Hospital staff allowed the young couple to only view their dead child, not hold or touch him. During this viewing, their baby was wrapped tightly in a blanket with his head propped on top of his body in a manner such that those viewing him could not identify that he had been decapitated. 

Ms. Ross and Mr. Taylor were not told about the decapitation until July 13, 2023, 3 days after the delivery and a full day after Ms. Ross had been discharged from the hospital.

The couple are represented by attorneys Dr. Roderick Edmond and Keith Lindsay of Edmond & Lindsay, LLP along with attorney Cory Lynch of The Law Office of Cory J. Lynch, LLC. 



Media contact:

Ryan Julison

Edmond & Lindsay, LLP and The Law Office of Cory Lynch, LLC