An Ames woman charged with the murder of her newborn daughter admitted to deliberately killing the infant after giving birth, according to Story County Court papers.

Ann McGowan, 34, 1118 N. 3rd St., was arrested and charged with first-degree murder Monday after she was released from Mary Greeley Medical Center.

The papers read McGowan “admitted to police she delivered and subsequently strangled the child.”

Sgt. Mike Johns of the Ames Police Department said McGowan “went to Mary Greeley because of internal bleeding” on Saturday.

While at the hospital, staff members discovered symptoms of having recently given birth, Johns said.

He said McGowan denied giving birth and a Mary Greeley staff member informed the Ames Police Department of a possible newborn in need of urgent medical care.

Police searched McGowan’s house Saturday evening and found an infant at approximately 9 p.m. The child was dead in a garbage bag in the back yard of the residence, according to court papers.

Court papers estimate the infant died at approximately 11 a.m., Saturday.

After McGowan was released from the hospital Monday morning, she was taken to the Ames Police Department for booking. She was then taken to the Story County Jail where she is being held on $250,000 bond.

She will make her preliminary court appearance Wednesday.

A man by the name of Patrick Condon lives with McGowan.

Johns said Condon was questioned as a witness and is not a suspect in the crime.

Johns said situations in which a parent is accused of killing his or her own child can be easier to solve than a typical murder case.

“There are some aspects of these types of crimes are easier [to solve] because we’re not talking about a random victim,” he said.