Trial Begins for French Mom Who Killed 6 Newborns

A mom who killed 6 of her newborn babies and stashed their corpses in her cellar has begun trial in one of the most notorious cases in French history. Céline Lesage, 38, faces life in prison for choking the infants to death. She has confessed to the charges, but has "no idea" why she murdered her children, according to her attorney. She's an unmarried "ordinary housewife," in the words of her lawyer, with a 14-year-old son.

The father of 5 of the dead babies believed they were stillborn, and was cleared of charges. The wrapped corpses were discovered lying next to a bowl of rat poison in Lesage's basement by a subsequent boyfriend. Lesage's attorney is seeking some kind of mercy for "diminished responsibility." The facts "are not in dispute, but there is medical and psychological evidence to consider," he said.
(More Celine Lesage stories.)