Faith-healing parents charged with murder after premature newborn dies – and they allegedly didn’t seek medical help

Two young Oregon parents face murder charges after one of their twin infants died just hours after her birth in a private home. The daughter was more than a month premature and weighed just 3 pounds, 6 ounces, according to a coroner’s report.

Sarah Elaine Mitchell, 24, and Travis Lee Mitchell, 21, allegedly did not call for medical help when the newborn stopped breathing because they are members of the Followers of Christ Church, which preaches against the use of modern medicine. Both are charged with murder and first-degree criminal mistreatment in the March 5, 2017 death.

Read our full story: Faith-healing family charged with murder when newborn dies hours after birth

An Oregon law removing spiritual treatment as a defense for homicide charges was enacted in 2011 in reaction to other deaths connected to church members. The mother’s sister is already in prison for the death of her baby under similar circumstances.

Nancy Grace and Alan Duke discuss the Mitchell case in this episode, as well as the story of Josh Duggar, the former reality TV star who wants police to pay him for the release of information about his alleged molestation of children.