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(KSL News) Eyewitness News is digging deeper into the history of Melissa Rowland. She's the woman in jail charged with murder in the death of her stillborn baby.
Our research reveals that this isn't the first time Rowland's been accused of hurting her children.
Eyewitness News has uncovered evidence that as recently as last week Rowland was trying to put her babies up for adoption in exchange for bail money.
Brian Farley, Prospective Adoptive Parent: "She told me she was pregnant. But she also told me that she knew the sex was going to be a boy and she was already two days late."
What Farley didn't know was Rowland had delivered the babies at Pioneer Valley Medical Center two months ago-- the boy was born dead and the little girl was immediately placed with an adoptive family.
Our investigation into Rowland's past now leads us to Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports than in July of 2000 Rowland pleaded guilty to assault, reckless endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child. The victim: Rowland's two-year-old daughter.
Here's what court documents say happened:
Rowland was in a grocery store checkout line on January 2, 2000. Her two-year-old daughter picked up a candy bar and began eating it.
Rowland, with a closed fist, punched the little girl in the face several times, screaming, "You ate the candy bar and now I can't buy my cigarettes!"
Rowland then dragged the child out to the parking lot, slapping her in the face and throwing her through an open window into the car, slamming the little girl's face and head on the car door.
At that point someone called 911 and about 20 witnesses, including an off-duty police officer, surrounded the car and wouldn't let Rowland leave the parking lot.
Rowland got five years probabtion for that incident. The little girl was placed in foster care.
What's next for Melissa Rowland? She's still in the Salt Lake County jail and needs $250,000 to bail out.
She's scheduled to appear in court Tuesday. If Rowland's convicted she could be sentenced to between five years and life in prison.
