Murder Charges Dropped Against St. Louis Mother

Prosecutors have dropped charges against a St. Louis woman whose child's body was found in a trash bin in 2011.

Thirty-year-old Melissa Shawneece Jackson was scheduled to go on trial next Monday for first-degree murder and child abuse. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports her attorney received notice Monday that all charges were dropped.

Jackson's 18-month-old son, Marquell, was found dead in the trash bin behind his home in May 2011. His mother pleaded not guilty to the charges. She spent about 10 months in jail before being released on bail.

Susan Ryan, spokeswoman for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, would not explain why the charges were dropped.

A city police spokeswoman said an officer might have compromised the case by not sharing information with homicide detectives.