New Mexico Supreme Court Rules Bodycam Confession Inadmissible in Murder Case

The New Mexico Supreme Court has ruled that body camera footage of Alexee Trevizo, who confessed to hiding her newborn baby in a hospital trash can, cannot be used by prosecutors in her murder case due to doctor-patient confidentiality. Trevizo, arrested at age 19 and charged with first-degree murder and tampering with evidence in 2023, admitted to hospital staff and her mother that she disposed of the baby after it was reported to authorities. The court's unanimous decision stated that statements made in front of police officers in the hospital room are protected under confidentiality laws. Additionally, surveillance video and police body camera footage were deemed inadmissible. Trevizo's doctor informed her and her mother about the discovery of the deceased newborn, leading to her confession. The court highlighted that Trevizo was in a compromised medical condition and did not voluntarily waive her physician-patient privilege. The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator later determined the newborn died by homicide, but Trevizo maintains that the baby was stillborn and that she was unaware of her pregnancy until the birth. Following her arrest, Trevizo was released and allowed to finish high school while awaiting trial.