NEIGHBORS WON'T JUDGE TEEN MOTHER

JACKSON, Mo. -- Neighbors of a 14-year-old, whose stillborn baby was found buried in her backyard, are confused and waiting for answers about a girl they describe as polite and trustworthy.

"She was a good kid and did a very good job with our kids," said Karen Christensen, whose three children were baby-sat by the girl.

The last time the girl looked after Christensen's children was two weeks ago.

"You couldn't have told then she was pregnant," Christensen said.

An anonymous call to a state child welfare agency on Wednesday led to the discovery of the shallow grave behind a house on Birdie Lane.

The 14-year-old girl remains in the custody of juvenile authorities.

Results of an autopsy of the infant will not be available for several weeks, said Mike Hurst, Cape Girardeau County coroner. The only certainty about the infant was that she was stillborn, Hurst said.

Cape Girardeau County prosecutor Morley Swingle said he probably won't charge the teen with any crime, but said it was premature to speculate on whether he will charge anyone else in the case.

Investigations by Jackson police, the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department and others are only about 10 percent complete, Swingle said.

James King said the girl had originally moved into the house next to his on Birdie Lane about a year ago with her mother and father. After some time, the father left, King said.

Although he never had conversations with the girl or her mother, King said his neighbors lived quietly and were always pleasant when they'd see each other from their yards.

"The girl was always nice and polite, and always said Hi,'"King said.

The girl and her mother lived across the street from Christensen. She has an average build, and could have hidden a pregnancy, Christensen said.

"Teen-agers are teen-agers," she said. "They can fool anybody."

After hearing others make judgments about the girl over the past two days, Christensen said she is holding her opinion.

"Until I get to speak to her, I'm not making any judgment," she said. "Nobody is above doing anything."

King ventured an idea about what might have happened.

"She probably made a few bad decisions and got scared," said King, holding his 15-month-old baby. "It's a shame she couldn't talk with anybody."