Troy, Ala. (WDNews) – A Pike County woman has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to Manslaughter in the death of her full-term unborn son in March 2023.
Chelsey Redmon-Zellers appeared in Pike County Circuit Court on August 5, 2025, before Judge Sonny Reagan, where she entered the guilty plea. The case was prosecuted by District Attorney James Tarbox, who said the agreement reflected the seriousness of the circumstances.
The State says the baby boy was delivered stillborn at Medical Center Enterprise after Redmon-Zellers was transferred from Troy Regional Medical Center. Medical staff determined there was no fetal heartbeat, prompting an investigation by the Enterprise Police Department and the Coffee County Coroner’s Office.
Toxicology results from the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences revealed that the baby had methamphetamine, amphetamine, and fentanyl in his system—levels of fentanyl considered potentially lethal.
The investigation was later transferred to the Pike County Sheriff’s Office since Redmon-Zellers resided in Pike County and the baby’s death likely occurred there. Authorities say the defendant had previously been counseled to avoid illicit substances during her pregnancy but did not follow that advice.
District Attorney Tarbox called the case “tragic” and shared the reasoning behind the plea deal:
“This is a tragic case that was difficult to work on for all involved. To have a baby that should have been born and given a chance at life die in this manner is heartbreaking. Our office reviewed the facts and evidence, and spoke with medical experts that would have been needed to testify at a trial of this matter. In our discussions, it became clear that had this matter gone to trial, a conviction for a Class A felony was still possible, but that there was a possibility of only obtaining a conviction for a Class C felony. I made the decision to offer a Class B felony as a settlement of this case. The Manslaughter charge for which the Defendant entered a guilty plea is still a very serious charge, and it reflects the completely reckless disregard and lack of care she had for the human life growing inside of her as she continued to ingest meth and fentanyl.”
Redmon-Zellers was sentenced to 15 years in the custody of the Alabama Department of Corrections.
The District Attorney’s Office expressed thanks to the Pike County Sheriff’s Office, Enterprise Police Department, Coffee County Coroner’s Office, the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences, and staff at both Troy Regional Hospital and Medical Center Enterprise for their work on the case.
