A former University of Tampa student facing
charges
in the death of her newborn allegedly exchanged chilling text messages months before the baby was found dead in her dorm bathroom, according to newly released court documents.
Brianna Moore
, then 19, was arrested in Missouri in
October 2024
, several months after her roommates reported hearing a baby crying in their shared bathroom at the university’s Tampa campus. The next day, authorities discovered the body of a newborn girl
wrapped in a blood-soaked towel
and hidden in the trash, according to the
Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office
.
Moore allegedly admitted to police that she had given birth alone in the dorm bathroom. She claimed she held the baby tightly to her chest until the crying stopped, then wrapped her in a towel and disposed of the body.
Alarming Texts Before Birth
According to the
Tampa Bay Times
, court
documents
reveal that months prior to the incident, Moore had texted a young man in
September 2023
, making disturbing references to harming an unborn child. In the exchange, Moore allegedly messaged:
“Hey man, sometimes you need a plan C.”
The man responded:
“Plan A was condoms. Plan B was the pill. Plan C was to kill the kid.”
To which Moore allegedly replied:
“Plan C is my favorite.”
Authorities have not confirmed the identity or role of the man in the texts, but Moore’s defense attorney,
Jonah Dickstein
, claims the messages were taken out of context and were part of a general conversation about abortion laws. He stated the man was not the baby’s father and that Moore had
no idea she was pregnant
until the day she gave birth.
Mental Health and Medical Findings
A forensic neuropsychologist,
Dr. Nicole Graham
, who evaluated Moore, described her as
emotionally immature
with a history of self-harm. Graham said Moore likely experienced a
cryptic pregnancy
— a rare condition in which a woman is unaware she’s pregnant, possibly due to denial or lack of symptoms.
Criminal Charges and Trial
Moore now faces multiple felony charges, including:
-
Aggravated manslaughter of a child
-
Child neglect with great bodily harm
-
Unlawful storage, preservation, or transportation of human remains
-
Failure to report a death to authorities
Her trial is set to begin later this month.
