April 28, 2026
Naysayers called out the police’s public post of the woman, noting how she might be experiencing postpartum psychosis.
A Texas mother now faces a felony for digging up her newborn child’s grave and removing the remains.
Tamisha Cheyniece Drake currently sits behind bars at the Angelina County Jail for the grave robbery. Police arrested and booked the 33-year-old on a charge of abuse of a corpse, according to jail records obtained by KTRE.
Police located Drake days after the cemetery, Davis Memorial Gardens, reported a disturbed gravesite on April 23. Officers reported that the deceased child’s grave was opened, with the container holding the infant girl’s body also missing.
An investigation led deputies to Drake, the child’s mother. During an interview, she admitted to digging up her child’s grave. She also told authorities that she left the container holding the body in the driveway of a vacant home. Upon admission, the police found the container and the child’s remains there.
According to police reports shared by Cleveland.com, the infant had not survived childbirth, dying in February. The Angelina County Sheriff’s Office posted a description of the incident, which went viral for its unusual details and alleged insensitivity.
Commenters urged the Sheriff’s Office to take down the post, particularly for its inclusion of Drake’s mugshot, over concerns that she is experiencing postpartum psychosis. According to the Cleveland Clinic, the rare mental health condition can trigger hallucinations, delusions, and erratic behavior in women, specifically after giving birth.
While it is unconfirmed if Drake is actually experiencing a mental health emergency, Black maternal health advocates have called out the Sheriff’s Office for their lack of empathy toward the woman losing her newborn.
“They decided to plaster a mugshot of a mother who recently lost her child during birth,” shared one woman in another post, tagging the police department. “The mother is going through it and went and got her baby’s remains from the cemetery. They ARRESTED HER instead of getting her help, showing grace or compassion, or having any sort of Human nature in them, they put her behind bars, then posted it on Facebook!”
While supporters call for grace and understanding for Drake’s loss, the bereaved mother remains in custody. If found guilty of the charge, she could face 180 days to two years in a state jail facility and a $10,000 fine.
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