Nationwide — Chloe Coplen-Anderson, an 18-year-old from Sheridan County, Nebraska, has been sentenced to 35 to 60 years in prison after pleading no contest to second-degree murder in the 2023 death of her newborn son. The case revealed troubling details of a hidden pregnancy, family abuse, and a violent crime.On April 24, Coplen-Anderson appeared in Sheridan County District Court, where Judge Travis O’Gorman handed down the sentence. With over 500 days of time served credited, she could be released in her early 50s, according to People.
According to court documents, Coplen-Anderson gave birth alone in her bedroom on November 6, 2023. Shortly after, she fatally stabbed the infant with a kitchen knife. At first, her father believed the baby was stillborn. However, her mother told police that her daughter had “hurt him” and pointed to visible stab wounds.
Police later found the bloodied knife hidden in her closet.
Coplen-Anderson was initially charged with first-degree murder, child abuse resulting in death, and use of a deadly weapon. In August 2024, she agreed to a plea deal, pleading no contest to second-degree murder. The other charges were dropped.
Her attorney, Todd Lancaster, told the court that Coplen-Anderson had been sexually abused and struggled with trauma-related mental health issues, including PTSD and major depression. He also revealed she was 15 when she became pregnant and that the baby’s father was 19—an age gap that classifies the relationship as statutory sexual assault under Nebraska law.
Lancaster added that no adults stepped in to support or intervene during her pregnancy.
In Nebraska, second-degree murder carries a penalty ranging from 20 years to life in prison.