Charges dropped against Bristol woman accused of hiding baby's corpse in Plymouth storage unit

NORTH HAVERHILL — Charges have been dropped against a former Bristol woman accused of hiding the corpse of a newborn baby in a Plymouth storage unit, and the county prosecutor says it is unlikely that any further charges would be filed in connection with the case.

Contacted by telephone on Monday, Attorney John Bell said he had not objected to a motion to suppress evidence in the case involving Gretchen Digman, 42, on the basis that Plymouth police did not have the authority to search the storage unit.

Defense Attorney Matt Lahey of Laconia, in his motion to suppress, argued that the facility owner did not have the authority to grant permission for the search because Digman maintained rights to the storage unit. Police would have needed Digman's permission to enter the unit.

Digman was indicted in August after police found the dead child, determined to be about 36 weeks’ gestation, in “one or more storage units," and Digman had failed to notify authorities of the baby’s existence.

In his motion, Lahey asked to suppress all evidence from the search, including scientific examinations and test results, as well as any statements Digman made to police when confronted with the evidence.

"The state's response was to agree that the owner of the facility did not have the authority to grant permission for the search," Lahey said on Monday. That left the state without the ability to introduce any evidence in court to support its case.