Did Mother's Stabbings Really Kill Baby? Defense Attorney Asks

An Oakdale police officer was among the witnesses called Monday as the retrial of Nicole Beecroft began in Washington County District Court, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press:

"There is no question that Beecroft, who was 17 at the time, gave birth alone in the basement of her Oakdale home in April 2007, stabbed the baby and put the body in a trash can outside the house, Funk said during her opening remarks in Beecroft's second murder trial.

"'The state wants you to focus on why Nicole would stab the baby if she were already dead. A better question is why would somebody stab a baby?' Funk said. 'But that's not an issue in this trial. The issue is whether the state can prove beyond a reasonable doubt whether the defendant's actions caused the death of that infant.'"

Related at Oakdale Patch: 

• Oakdale Woman Once Convicted of Murdering Infant Daughter Gets New Trial
• Beecroft's Attorney Requests Court Dismiss Murder Indictment