Minnesota – A Minnesota woman was ordered to serve more than three decades behind bars after she was convicted of second-degree murder in connection with her baby’s death last year. The young mom, later identified as 21-year-old Esperansa, was sentenced earlier this week while her partner, later identified as 19-year-old Eldwin, pleaded guilty to aiding an offender after the fact and is awaiting sentencing.
The fatal incident occurred in February last year at a hotel where the mother was staying with her baby. During the investigation process, authorities in Minnesota discovered that the young parent attempted to take a bath when her baby began crying in the other room. Frustrated by the interruption, she drowned her son in the bathtub. Following the act, the mother sent a series of text messages to her boyfriend, stating, “I’m about to do something bad, Please answer me, He going to no be here much longer.” Her partner reportedly responded ‘that’s ok’ and when the woman told him that her child was dead and she was sorry, he reportedly said that ‘she shouldn’t be.’
After receiving his girlfriend’s messages, the man arrived at the hotel room. The couple attempted CPR on the child but did not contact emergency services. Instead, they engaged in lntimate relations while the child’s body remained on the bathroom floor. Subsequently, they placed the baby’s body into a backpack and disposed of it in a hotel dumpster. The boyfriend reportedly advised the mother to act as if she was merely taking out the trash and cautioned her against disclosing the incident, stating, “If you go down, I go down no matter what.”
One week after she killed her baby, the woman reportedly visited Children’s Hospital in Minnesota, claiming her child had died there earlier that week. However, there were no records of the child’s admission or death. Upon further investigation, The mother confessed to drowning her son and disposing of his body. Despite extensive search efforts, the child’s remains were never recovered.
The woman was charged with second-degree murder and pleaded guilty on December 20, 2024. She received a 32-year prison sentence on March 6, 2025. The mother’s boyfriend pleaded guilty to aiding an offender after the fact on February 24, 2025, and is awaiting sentencing, with a potential prison term of up to seven years.
During an interview with investigators, the mother reportedly told authorities in Minnesota that her boyfriend did not like the baby and that he wanted her to give up the infant for adoption. The mother also confessed that he didn’t call for help, but rather, had lntercourse with her boyfriend before leaving the hotel room. She later admitted to investigators that she drowned her son in the bathtub because she was upset she could not enjoy her bath. This heart-wrenching case has deeply affected the Minnesota community, prompting discussions on mental health, parental support, and the importance of timely intervention in crisis situations.