Mother sentenced for murder of her newborn twins boys who were found in trash 21 years ago

COOK COUNTY, Ill. (TND) — A mother who admitted to killing her newborn twins more than two decades ago will serve time behind bars.

Antoinette Briley pled guilty to the murders of her baby boys on Tuesday, according to Cook County sheriff's officials.

The bodies of the twins were found on June 6, 2003 by a Waste Management employee while they emptied trash bins in an alley in Stickney, Illinois. The employee said then that she saw the bodies in the front lift bucket of her garbage truck.

An autopsy then revealed that the infant boys were born alive and died from asphyxiation.

Authorities said a homicide investigation ensued right after, but a suspect couldn't be identified - the case went cold shortly after.

The case was reopened in 2018.

Detectives travelled to Holland, Michigan, where Briley is from, and found Briley's DNA, which was "strongly associated" with the babies' DNA.

DNA that was recovered from the crime scene and DNA collected from a "discarded item" linked Briley as the babies' mother.

In 2020, Briley was taken into custody by Cook County sheriff's deputies.

Authorities said Briley admitted her involvement in the death of the boys and the disposal of their bodies when she was issued her Miranda Rights.

Briley was charged with two counts of first-degree murder on December 4, 2020.

Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dar announced on Tuesday that Briley was convicted for the slaying of her sons.

The 44-year-old was sentenced on Tuesday to serve 20 years at the Illinois Department of Corrections.