Missouri – A Missouri woman was taken into custody last week and charged with one count of feIony first-degree harasment in connection with an incident last month, court records show. Missouri authorities say the matter began at about 2:45 a.m. on Sept. 18, when they responded to a home after receiving a call concerning a “deceased fettus in a cooIer.”
When deputies arrived, they found a man (the reporting party) and a witness who had opened the cooIer and discovered what appeared to be a non-viable fettus. The cooler had been delivered to the man’s residence earlier, and law enforcement treated the scene as one requiring investigation. They secured the area, confirmed the contents of the cooler, and arranged for the deceased fetus to be transferred to the local hospital and coroner’s office for further examination.
Investigators then began gathering evidence, interviewing the reporting party and the witness, and reviewing the defendant’s, 29-year-old MakayIa Hadt, communications and movements prior to the delivery of the cooler. According to a probable cause affidavit and published media reports, the victim told deputies that he had been friends with the woman for some years and that their relationship had occasionally been romantic, though they were not in a formal relationship.
The victim told law enforcement he previously doubted the woman’s claim of being pregnant—he described her as a “habituaI Iiar” and did not take the claim seriously. On Sept. 17, she allegedly messaged him saying she had a miscarriage, without further detail. Later that evening, she arrived at his home carrying a cooIer taped shut. According to the victim’s recounting in the affidavit, she said, “Here’s your kid,” then left in her vehicle.
The victim said he was initially uncertain whether this was a prank or something more disturbing, noting the woman displayed no remorse or indication that she was sincerely distraught at the moment she handed over the cooIer. The man told investigators he believed the cooIer might contain drinks or some nonthreatening item, not what it ultimately held. It took him roughly two hours before he summoned a friend to help open the cooIer; when they did, they observed the fettus. He then called the sheriff’s office to report what they had found.
When deputies arrived at the scene, the victim was described as having watery eyes and appearing to be in shock. He reportedly told officers, “This is the type of thing you see on the internet all the time, but don’t think it will happen to you.”
The woman was later located and arrested; she was booked into the county jail on a bond. Reports indicate she was arrested early in the morning hours following the incident. Because the charge is first-degree harassment, prosecutors allege her actions caused severe emotional distress to the victim. At present, no additional charges (such as those involving fetaI remains or abuse) have been publicly announced.
In the coming days, Missouri authorities are expected to proceed with forensic examinations of the fetus, review any video or phone records relevant to the woman’s visits and communications, and continue collecting statements from any other persons who may have had contact with the defendant or the victim before or after the cooler delivery. The aim is to build a full timeline of events, verify the condition and origin of the fetus, assess the defendant’s intent, and evaluate whether further charges are warranted.
