Clovis mother suspected of killing newborn released from jail

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A trail of blood led Clovis Police to a disturbing discovery in a trash bin and a bit of a mystery to solve.

They found a newborn baby thrown out with the garbage and a teenager who'd kept her pregnancy a secret. However, days after arresting her for manslaughter, they're not done investigating Angelena Hamilton.

RELATED: Clovis Police arrest 18-year-old after body of newborn found in trash

The full coroner's report could take months, but Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi says it's the key to the case.

"I think the autopsy has to come back and be conclusive about what the cause of death is. Unless it's tied into abandoning the baby, there might not be a case at all," Capozzi explained.

Without that information, police never forwarded a case for the district attorney to file charges and the jail released Hamilton over the weekend.

Police say the baby was alive at birth, but the 18-year-old mother has no other criminal history on her public record, and they don't expect any new violence.

If the autopsy shows the baby met a violent end, police say all evidence points to Hamilton.

They don't know who the father is, but since she kept the pregnancy under wraps, they don't think anyone else was involved in the death.

Capozzi says just disposing of the body is a crime, but a defense attorney may dig into Hamilton's past to protect her future.

Clovis police say there's no timeline on their investigation.