New Trial Starts Monday for Oakdale Woman Who Allegedly Killed Infant in 2007

A Washington County judge will begin a new trial for an Oakdale woman who was sentenced to life in prison more than six years ago for allegedly stabbing her newborn daughter in her Oakdale home.

Nicole Beecroft was 17 at the time of the horrific incident. She contended her daughter, delivered on the laundry room floor in her Oakdale home, was stillborn. A Washington County judge, Mary Hannon, saw the evidence differently, and sentenced the teen to life. 

Now, according to the Pioneer Press, a ruling by the Minnesota State Supreme Court, plus a new opinion given by the U.S. Supreme Court has the case back in Washington County. 

Te Minnesota Supreme Court overturned Beecroft's conviction in 2012 based on interference by state officials. The state's high court said the conviction may not have been different, but incidents that changed the trial–including interference by a county attorney from another part of the Twin Cities, had violated  Beecroft's rights to due process.

The current U.S. high court ruled last year that life sentences for juveniles, in most cases, were "cruel and usual punishment" under the constitution. 

Beecroft was tried as an adult in 2007. She waived her right to a jury trial, something she has also done this time around, court documents state. And she's also turned down a plea deal from Washington County, according to the paper.

The trial begins at 9 a.m. Monday in Washington County District Court in Stillwater.  Chief Judge John Hoffman will hear the case. 

Correction: This story has been updated from a previous version to provide the correct first name.