Testimony begins in trial for mom accused of killing baby Halo in Schenectady

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — Testimony began Wednesday in the trial of Persia Nelson — the woman accused of killing her 10-month-old daughter after police found the infant inside a structure, underneath a pipe in March 2024 on the General Electric campus.

The first few witnesses took the stand on Wednesday in Schenectady County Court including the state police amber alert coordinator and a DEC forest ranger who responded to the scene on the early morning hours of March 10, 2024.

Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Christina Tremante began opening statements on Wednesday, saying this all started the night before, March 9. She described that Nelson went to a barbecue that evening with her baby Halo Branton.

An argument ensued and Nelson left with the baby. Already intoxicated from drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana, Defense Attorney Mark Sacco said Nelson allegedly made a wrong turn when trying to walk home.

“She continues into the woods and down that large embankment, at the bottom of the embankment, she crossed railroad tracks, climbed a fence then onto General Electric campus,” said Tremante.

That’s when Nelson found a box-like structure with an opening in the front. Nelson placed baby Halo inside that structure.

“She leaned into that structure and just dropped her baby in it with no ground level. It was an 8 foot drop down to the pipes in the standing water below,” said Tremante. “And then her mother walked away.”

Nelson kept walking to a building that was lit up about 330 feet away. She got inside and fell asleep. When she woke up, she allegedly had no memory of anything that happened after she climbed over the fence.

“The first words out of her mouth was, ‘Where is my baby?'” said Mark Sacco. “My client loved her baby with every ounce and every fiber of her being.”

Both Sacco and Tremante noted the terrible weather conditions that existed that night. Sacco said the temperature was 35 degrees, the wind chill was 33, and the sky was pitch black.

“When I say horrendous, I’m talking about very, very difficult conditions. Freezing rain, sideways rain,” said Sacco.

An autopsy report showed that baby Halo died from hypothermia and exposure.

“She had ice and frost on her face. When they tried to open her airway and touched her cheeks, they were firm. She was essentially frozen,” said Tremante.

However, Sacco argued that Nelson accidentally made a right instead of a left when she was leaving the party — leading her to get lost. Sacco said Nelson did everything she could to save her child in those conditions.

“The issue is — what was my client’s mindset when she was doing that? Was she lost? Was she scared? Was it dark? Was she doing everything possible to save her child and clearly put her child somewhere she thought was safe? Well that’s not murder,” said Sacco.

Testimony will continue in court on Thursday. Judge Matthew Sypniewski expected this trial may last up to three weeks. Stick with NEWS10 ABC for updates.