North Myrtle Beach mom who threw newborns in trash sentenced to four decades in prison
Alyssa Dayvault’s decision—and the law— caught up with her Thursday morning when she learned she will spend decades in prison.
Dayvault was in Horry County court for a sentencing hearing after she skipped her trial last month on two counts of homicide by child abuse. A jury found her guilty, despite Dayvault being absent for the proceedings.
She turned herself in the day after the verdict was announced.
Judge Steven John, who sealed her sentence after the trial, announced that Dayvault will spend the next 40 years in prison.
A jury convicted Dayvault of throwing two babies in the trash moments after she gave birth in 2017 and 2018.
Dayvault showed little emotion as the verdict was read, but broke down in tears as she spoke to the judge as she asked him to reconsider the sentence. The judge declined to change the sentence.
“I just want to apologize,” Dayvault said, adding that she made a horrible mistake.
Dayvault said she wanted to apologize to her other daughters for what she did.
“I hope one day they’ll forgive me for what I’ve done,” Dayvault said.
The father of the children, Chris Matechen, spoke after the verdict and told the court the decision can help bring some justice.
“For two years now, I’ve lived with this type of burden with no type of closure,” Matechen said.
During the trial, the jury watched Dayvault’s video interviews with police. As the questioning started, Dayvault denied being pregnant and stated she would have been excited if that was the case.
“I am all about my children, I’m very confused,” Dayvault said.
She talks about having blood clots and says she was told she had a miscarriage.
“I don’t know how to explain it to you. I would know if I had a baby,” Dayvault tells the investigators.
But minutes into the interview, Dayvault’s attitude changed and she cried uncontrollably. Most of the rest of the interview is hard to hear and understand, but Dayvault can be heard admitting to throwing her babies away.
“I was so scared, I don’t know,” Dayvault said. “I wasn’t thinking. I don’t have an explanation. I wasn’t thinking. I was too scared.”
Dayvault described how she was in the bathroom of her North Myrtle Beach home and gave birth. She talked about the process and cleaning up afterward. Police then ask her if she got rid of the baby because she “couldn’t handle it anymore?”
Dayvault nodded her head and said, “yes.”
This story was originally published November 5, 2020 at 9:42 AM.
