Judge allows SC woman charged with homicide by child abuse to go on family vacation

By Caroline Hecker | May 29, 2019 at 11:11 AM EDT - Updated May 29 at 4:47 PM

LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (WIS) - The Lexington County woman charged with homicide by child abuse after allegedly placing her newborn baby in a trash bag in 2018 is allowed to travel to go on a family vacation, a judge ruled on Wednesday.

Investigators said Brennan Geller, 21, gave birth to a healthy baby girl inside her car last August, before allegedly placing the baby in a trash bag on the floorboard. The next day, investigators said Geller was taken to the hospital for blood loss and she failed to tell the medical staff of the infant. The baby was later located by deputies deceased.

Geller has been out on a surety bond since her arrest and petitioned a judge last week to amend the restrictions of her bond to allow her to travel to attend a family vacation this summer.

Circuit Court Judge Frank Addy approved the request.

The father of the baby, later named Kimberly, is Edwin Taylor, who told deputies he did not know Geller was pregnant. Just a few weeks before Geller gave birth, she went to the beach with Taylor’s family. They admit she began wearing baggy clothing, but said she was not showing a full term pregnancy.

"There’s really no words for it, it was uncalled for, we had asked many times and she denied it,” Kathy Taylor, Edwin’s mother, said. “I opened my home to her, she went to family functions with us, holidays with us loved on my other grandchildren and didn’t even give him an option or a say of what we wanted to do and it’s a void we will have for the rest of our lives.”

The family said they believe Geller planned to get rid of the baby but are struggling to understand why.

Edwin Taylor, who has since joined the military, offered this statement to the judge at the hearing.

The only thing I can hope to give my daughter, Kimberly Faith Taylor, is justice for her life being taken too soon. I have to put my faith and trust in you, and our criminal justice system to deliver that justice in her memory. There is no way to bring her back, but she is with me every day. Everything I have done since I lost her has been to make her proud. There was no fairness or justice in her life ending before it barely started. There was no fairness in all that she lost or all that myself and my family lost. There is no fairness in being 22 years old and burying your first child. There is no fairness in carrying that weight on your shoulders and in your heart for the rest of your life. When I learned that bond was granted, that also did not feel fair. I’ve waited nine months now just to have a death certificate so that I could arrange for a headstone for my daughter. I can’t say that has felt very fair. Knowing the person responsible for Kimberly’s death has been out without any restrictions this entire time does not seem fair. What seems most unfair though is this request to be able to travel. It does not make sense to me that someone could do something like this and then feel like it’s fair and reasonable to even ask to be allowed to travel. Even needing to take the time to write this letter to share my thoughts does not seem fair. There is nothing I can do to get away from this loss. That doesn’t seem that is the case for this person. I ask that you consider this opportunity to give Kimberly and myself some justice and fairness. Please consider how much her life matters and what approving a request for vacation by that person would once again say.

Edwin Taylor