Mother Of Missing 7-Month-Old Gave Her Baby Away

Authorities say the mother of a missing Florida 7-month-old secretly turned her over to her baby sitter in the middle of the night.

Susan Baker

Washington County Sheriff Bobby Haddock said Thursday that
infant Shannon Dedrick was found alive in a 2' x 3' cedar box under baby sitter
Susan Elizabeth Baker's bed. Haddock says she had been in the box for 12 hours. Baker put baking soda inside the box to mask the smell of the baby's feces.

cedar box

Investigators had been searching for Shannon since her parents reported her missing Saturday.

Haddock says Baker asked mom Chrystina Lynn Mercer on Friday if
she could have custody of Shannon. He says Mercer brought the
infant to Baker's house early Saturday, about 10 hours before she
was reported missing.

Crystina Lynn Mercer

Both women are face felony charges, including child neglect, desertion of a child and interference with child custody.

Thursday afternoon, a judge set bond for Baker at $150,000. Shannon's mom got half that.
Neither woman is allowed to have contact with baby Shannon or any other minor children.