Elizabeth Case

Charges against a Limestone County woman accused in the death of her infant son were recently upgraded to capital murder, records show.

Elizabeth Anne Case, 36, of 19612 E. Limestone Road, Toney, is also facing a charge of felony murder and aggravated child abuse. Records show Circuit Court Judge Robert Baker will preside over the trial.

Case remains in the Limestone County Jail with bond set at $500,000.

The upgraded charge means Case is eligible to be sentenced to either death or life in prison.

It was a previous charge of reckless murder against Case that was upgraded by a Limestone County grand jury. At a Dec. 3 preliminary hearing, District Court Judge Matthew Huggins waived the case to the grand jury.

“We had a detailed presentation to the grand jury, and they felt (the upgraded charge) was warranted,” Limestone County District Attorney Brian Jones said Thursday.

Case is being represented by Athens attorney Harlan Mitchell.

She is accused of leaving her infant son in a locked vehicle from between 9 and 10 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, to around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5. Authorities allege Case kept the baby in a front-facing car seat that was not strapped to the vehicle while she drove around Limestone and Madison counties to “dumpster dive” during the night. They said she left him in the vehicle when she got back home around 5:40 a.m. Saturday and went inside to sleep.

He was found that afternoon when the child’s paternal grandmother arrived to visit him. Case tried to bring him inside and cool him off in the shower before agreeing to seek emergency treatment.

Case and the grandmother met first responders on U.S. 31. The infant was transported to Athens-Limestone Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and Case was arrested shortly after.

At the time of her son’s death, Case was free on bond on previous charges of third-degree burglary, receiving stolen property, second-degree theft, fraudulent use of a credit/debit card and two counts first-degree robbery.