After killing her 1-year-old daughter and concealing the body in a hearse at a nearby funeral parlor, authorities in Alabama have charged a 29-year-old mother with murder.
Around 11:45 a.m. on Saturday, August 9, employees of West Gadsden Funeral Home in Gadsden returned from an appointment and saw something strange in one of their cars, leading to the unsettling discovery.
They initially believed it to be a doll. However, upon closer inspection, they saw that the child, a 1-year-old named Blessence Pearl, was really sleeping in the back of the hearse rather than in a coffin.
NEW: A mother murdered her one-year-old daughter and then disposed of her body in a helicopter.
One-year-old Blessence Pearl was discovered at West Gadsden Funeral Home in Alabama inside a hearse.
Terica Pearl, her 29-year-old mother, was accused of murder.
The case is being examined as a homicidepic, according to the police.Twitter: https://SaKrsgdKn4.
August 11, 2025, Unlimited L’s (@unlimited_ls)
Funeral home owner Dantez Robinson said WBRC 6 News, “I received a call from one of my staff members.” We left on a pickup yesterday night while they were getting ready, and we returned this morning. When we returned, we discovered a baby inside one of the hearses while he was preparing to conduct some grounds work.
Investigators swiftly concluded that the child’s death was a homicide after the Gadsden Police Department arrived on the scene. Terica Pearl, the girl’s mother, was taken into custody by police at 1:48 a.m. on Sunday, August 10, less than 12 hours later. According to arrest records that PEOPLE was able to obtain, she is being held at the Etowah County Jail without bond.
According to The Gadsden Times, the Gadsden Police Department said in a statement that “the memory of this child will remain with us, and we will continue to stand for justice in every case, no matter how difficult.” Lieutenant Dusty Ford commended the investigation’s quickness, telling WBRC that it went from uncertainty to an arrest in less than 12 hours.
Following the discovery of her 1-year-old daughter Blessence dead in a hearse at a funeral parlor in Gadsden, Alabama authorities detained Terica Pearl. Before recognizing she was a baby outside of a casket, staff initially believed she was a doll. Pearl faces a murder charge.AFqpZazejm #smoothvuepic.twitter.com
August 11, 2025 Smoothvue TV (@smoothvue)
The child’s cause of death and how her body got into the hearse are still unknown. Additionally, police have not stated if there may have been any additional involvement. The town is in shock at Blessence’s passing; many people are disturbed by the heinousness of the act as well as the peculiar manner in which the child’s body was found.
The proprietor of the funeral house, Robinson, stated that nothing he had experienced in his decades in the industry could have prepared him for this. You don’t expect to find a baby like that in your hearse with no explanation, he added, but you do expect tragedy in this line of work. Although authorities have not disclosed a potential motivation, the case is anticipated to become clearer in the upcoming weeks as a result of court proceedings.
Pearl is accused of capital murder; according to Alabama law, a conviction carries the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole. According to authorities, their current priorities are establishing a solid case and ensuring that Blessence receives justice.
According to Lt. Ford, every officer involved has been impacted by this case. It’s something you remember. The inquiry is still under progress.
