SKOWHEGAN — A Fairfield woman charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of her infant son is scheduled to appear for an arraignment in Somerset County Superior Court Tuesday.
Kayla Stewart, 20, will also be evaluated for mental competence by a state forensic examiner at the request of Assistant Attorney General John Alsop.
In his request, filed March 11, Alsop wrote that the investigation of the case “revealed facts and circumstances suggesting a potential for trial issues regarding (Stewart’s) competence, abnormal condition of mind or criminal responsibility.”
He declined to comment Monday regarding specific concerns the state has regarding Stewart’s mental state.
Stewart’s attorney, Pamela Ames of Waterville, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment Monday.
Stewart is being held without bail at the Somerset County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned at 1 p.m.
Stewart was indicted by a grand jury on the two charges earlier this month. Both are felonies punishable, upon conviction, by a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
Prosecutors in the case have alleged that Stewart allowed her son to die either by suffocating or smothering the child, or by leaving it in a cold garage to die after she gave birth at home.
Her attorney argued at a February bail hearing that Stewart had a miscarriage and panicked.
In January, a special agent for the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency notified state police of the case after learning “about a suspicious infant death involving a person who she had dealt with in the past,” according to a police affidavit in the case. Alsop said Monday that he was not aware of Stewart having a past history with the DEA and was not sure what the affidavit was referring to.
Police also interviewed Stewart’s mother, Lucille Stewart, in January, after she reported that her daughter had been pregnant and was no longer pregnant and she was concerned about what may have happened to the child.
Stewart was arrested 10 days after police found the remains of the child in the garage of the home she shared with her boyfriend, Nicholas Blood, on Norridgewock Road in Fairfield.
Rachel Ohm — 612-2368
Twitter: @rachel_ohm
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