UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The North Carolina Court of Appeals denied a claim from a woman who said Facebook messages used as evidence during her trial violated the U.S. Constitution.
The court issued the ruling this month in the case against Khrystina Rice, who was sentenced to life in prison for the 2019 death of her newborn son.
Rice's son died on Oct. 13, 2019, after he was placed in a plastic bag shortly after he was born in her Indian Trial home, according to court records. The baby boy was found with serious head and bodily injuries.
Rice, 32, was charged with first-degree murder and was found guilty during a trial in February 2023.
Court records say Rice hid her pregnancy from her husband and gave misleading statements to paramedics about her pregnancy at the scene.
Facebook messages used during the trial revealed that Rice knew about her pregnancy, which was a result of an extramarital affair. She sent sonogram photos to the baby's father that she obtained online and described fictitious prenatal appointments, according to court records.
Rice argued that these messages were used erroneously during the trial because they represent hearsay and violate the Confrontation Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
The Appeals Court disagreed with Rice, saying that the messages are permissible in court. The Court added that even if these messages were not used during the trial, it would not be enough to overturn the jury's decision. Several witnesses, including Rice, testified at the trial and corroborated the statements that were made in the messages and about the case.
The Court ruled that Rice received a fair trial.