A former University of Tampa student is facing serious charges after a heartbreaking discovery in her dorm bathroom last spring—and now, newly released court documents are shedding disturbing light on what may have been going on behind the scenes in the months leading up to the incident.
Brianna Moore, who was 19 at the time, was arrested in October 2024 in Missouri after authorities say they found a deceased newborn wrapped in a blood-soaked towel inside a shared dorm bathroom at the university’s Tampa campus. The investigation originally began back in April, when Moore’s roommates reportedly heard the sound of a baby crying and later discovered blood in the bathroom. Concerned, they alerted the authorities, which ultimately led to the grim discovery of the hidden newborn the next day.
Officials say the infant was “completely concealed” in the towel and had been left in the trash. Moore allegedly told investigators she had given birth in the dorm bathroom and held the baby tightly to her chest until the crying stopped. She then wrapped the child in a towel and placed her in the trash.
But the story has only grown more troubling. According to newly released court documents cited by the Tampa Bay Times, Moore had exchanged text messages months earlier that prosecutors believe reveal a dark mindset. In one of the messages from September 2023, she was allegedly texting a young man from Mississippi about abortion and birth control. At one point, Moore reportedly wrote, “hey man sometimes you need a plan c.”
The young man allegedly responded, “Plan A was condoms. Plan B was the pill. Plan C was to kill (the kid)”. To which Moore replied, “Plan C is my favorite.”
The relationship between Moore and the man remains unclear, but her defense attorney Jonah Dickstein said the texts are being misrepresented. He told the Times that the conversation had nothing to do with Moore’s own pregnancy and that the two were talking more broadly about abortion laws. He also stated the man was not the baby’s father and that Moore didn’t know she was pregnant until the moment she gave birth.
A forensic neuropsychologist who evaluated Moore supports that claim, stating in a deposition that the teen showed signs of emotional immaturity and had a history of self-harm. She believed Moore experienced what’s known as a “cryptic pregnancy”—a condition in which a woman is unaware she’s pregnant or is in deep denial about it.
Despite the defense’s claims, Moore now faces multiple felony charges, including aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect with great bodily harm, unlawful storage and transportation of human remains, and failure to report a death to authorities, according to the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office.
As the legal process moves forward, the case continues to spark difficult conversations about mental health, teen pregnancy, and what warning signs might have been missed. The tragedy has shaken the university community and left many wondering how such a devastating situation unfolded in a place meant to be a safe space for young students.