3 charged in 2023 case of baby death

By Carolyn Reid

FALMOUTH — After a 13-month investigation, Falmouth police arrested three people in connection to the March 1, 2023, death of a newborn. The arrests took place last Thursday.

The baby was found in an abandoned house at 509 Montjoy Street after Harrison County Memorial Hospital alerted police Chief Marty Hart that they had a woman in their emergency department who was claiming to have miscarried. The hospital assessment determined that the woman had instead given birth to a baby who was at least close to full-term and possibly viable. Falmouth police, Falmouth Fire Department, and Pendleton County EMS responded to the structure to find the infant boy beneath a blanket and not breathing. Attempts to revive the newborn were unsuccessful, and the child was pronounced dead at Harrison Memorial Hospital, police said.

Evidence led Hart to arrest Kimberly Shepperd, the mother, who is charged with incest, abuse of a corpse, and concealing the birth of an infant; her grandfather, Billy Shepperd, who is charged with abuse of a corpse; and Allen Newkirk, her uncle, who is charged with incest.

Hart said investigators believe incest had been going on between the woman and Newkirk for some time.

Both Billy Shepperd and Kimberly Shepperd have been released from Bourbon County after posting a $5,000 bond and a $20,000 bond, respectively. As of press time, Newkirk was still being held on a $20,000 cash bond.

Multiple responders, including seasoned veterans, have said the case was the most difficult they had ever encountered.

Hart said he suspected early on that arrests were coming, and the investigation began immediately.

“It took a year because of the medical examiner and forensic lab tests such as DNA. Multiple interviews with multiple people which took time to track down along with obtaining multiple DNA samples of suspected fathers. The forensic aspect of the investigation alone took nine months.”