Pennsylvania couple charged after allegedly treating dying newborn with only herbs

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After allegedly opting to treat a sick newborn with only teas and herbs, a Pennsylvania couple was charged with involuntary manslaughter.

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According to a statement from the Pennsylvania Attorney General, Drew and Amy Hoenigke were also charged with aggravated assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

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They allegedly waited three days to tell authorities about the death.

A family friend, Brigitte Meckes, was also there, and she’s been charged with the same offences.

The baby, who was born at home, lived for just three days.

Authorities claim the couple used teas and herbs — rather than modern medicine — in an attempt to care for their newborn, according to PEOPLE.

“Shortly after the birth, the baby showed signs of severe distress,” the attorney general wrote in a statement. “Messages from the defendants described the baby as struggling to breathe and ‘turning blue.’”

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The couple then allegedly tried to administer holistic remedies to the child.

“In a failed attempt to aid the child, Amy Hoenigke and Meckes utilized a peppermint oil infuser and attempted to create a makeshift breathing tube from a water bottle,” the attorney general writes. “Without proper medical care, the baby died approximately two days after birth.

“Experts believe that the caretakers should have immediately sought medical care when the child began showing signs of distress and difficulty breathing,” the attorney general continued. “The inaction of the defendants resulted in needless suffering, and made it impossible for the baby to survive.”

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Pennsylvania State Troopers found the boy’s decomposing body on Jan. 20. Next to his remains, they found a container containing “remnants of burned herbs.”

Drew Hoenigke, 31, told The Daily Beast that the couple decided against immediately calling police because they don’t trust modern medicine — and were concerned about their unvaccinated two-year-old daughter.

The couple, as well as Meckes, were each booked on a $150,000 bond. They have since been released as they await a pre-trial court appearance in January.

They have not yet entered a plea, and court records do not reflect attorneys authorized to speak on their behalf.

PEOPLE contacted the Hoenigke family via phone but was unable to immediately reach them.