The University of Tampa student Brianna Moore, 19, is on trial for aggravated manslaughter and related charges after allegedly killing her newborn daughter in April 2024. Court documents reveal disturbing text messages in which Moore referred to matricide as her “favorite” form of birth control months before giving birth.
Moore claims she experienced a cryptic pregnancy and did not realize she was pregnant until labor began. According to prosecution sources, she secretly gave birth alone in her dorm bathroom, wrapped the deceased infant in a bloody towel, and disposed of it in the trash. A medical examiner ruled the cause of death as homicide: “asphyxia due to compression of the torso with rib fractures”.
Court filings include text exchanges from September 2023 between Moore and a Mississippi acquaintance named Quasim. In the messages, Quasim laid out contraception options: “plan a was condoms. plan b was the pill. plan c was to kill thr [sic] kid.” Moore allegedly replied: “plan c is my favorite”.
Moore’s defense lawyer, Jonah Dickstein, insists the messages are taken out of context. He claims they were part of a broader discussion about abortion law and that Moore did not know she was pregnant. Dickstein also notes Quasim is not the child’s father.
Evidence indicates the baby girl died from asphyxia and suffered rib fractures and lung hemorrhages. Investigators found the remains in Moore’s dorm trash can. Her roommates had previously heard infant cries and spotted blood in the bathroom but were unaware of Moore’s condition.
Moore faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison if convicted. Charges include aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect, unlawful storage of human remains, and failure to report a death to authorities. The trial was postponed and is now expected to resume in March 2026.
