Teen Charged with Murder Wants Public Defender

A Paducah teenager charged with murder in the death of her newborn daughter in November will be represented by a public defender.

Katelynn Teague's attorney Brian Bard filed a motion on August 17 to withdraw as her legal counsel. This was just two days after she pleaded guilty to shoplifting charges and received a 60-day jail sentence.

Teague stayed in jail Friday, but was represented in court by her mother, who was told by Circuit Judge Craig Clymer to fill out necessary forms to get a public defense attorney.

Clymer did not set a date for her to return to court, but the Paducah Sun reports that a bond hearing on the murder charge will likely happen before October 12, when her shoplifting sentence expires. The court will determine whether she will stay in jail until her murder trial begins.

After receiving a tip, Paducah Police found Teague's baby girl dead in a shopping bag in her closet on November 21, and determined it had lived for just a few hours. She was arrested and charged with murder, but plead not guilty and was released from jail on $5,000 bond.

Detectives believed that Teague knew she was pregnant the entire time. The Commonwealth alleges that autopsy results showed that the baby died of abandonment and suffocation.