Eckersley family 'utterly devastated' newborn was left in tent

Dec. 30—The family of the homeless woman accused of leaving her hours-old baby alone in her Manchester tent and misleading a police search the day after Christmas said in a statement they were unaware of the pregnancy and "utterly devastated" by what happened.

Alexandra Eckersley, 26, is the daughter of former Red Sox pitching great Dennis Eckersley and his second wife, Nancy.

According to the statement, the family also called New Hampshire's mental health system — along with those in other states — broken.

The baby boy who was born prematurely is recovering at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

"We are in the process of filing a guardianship petition so that we may receive information and have decision-making with respect to Allie's son," the statement reads. The family also asked for privacy.

Authorities filed an affidavit that describes Eckersley as likely on drugs, unsteady on her feet and thrashing from side to side as they tried to get her to say where the baby was. She admitted to using cocaine about two days before the birth.

Nancy Eckersley told a prosecutor her daughter has an open invitation to return home and live with her parents as long as she enters drug treatment. Alexandra refused.

The family said they were unaware of the pregnancy and are grateful for the work first responders did to save the baby.

"It is heartbreaking that a child was born under such unthinkable conditions and in such tragic circumstances," the statement reads. "We learned with everyone else from news reports what happened and are still in complete shock."

The tent consisted of one small tent inside a larger one. The sleeping area, where the baby was found, had a large amount of blood and several blankets. Alexandra and her boyfriend also decided to turn off the propane heat in the tent, which sheltered the baby, while they waited outside for an ambulance, according to court documents.

The family says Alexandra — who they call Allie — was adopted at birth.

"Though it is painful to share, we feel it necessary to offer greater context of Allie's circumstances and background," the statement reads. "Allie has suffered from severe mental illness her entire life. Allie was hospitalized numerous times for her illness and lived in several residential programs. We did our very best to get Allie all of the help and support humanly possible."

Since she was 20, Alexandra has chosen to live on the streets in New Hampshire.

"Once Allie became an adult there was even less we could do because she was legally free to make her own decisions as long as she was not a danger to herself or others. Under existing laws, there was simply no way to force her to receive treatment. Nonetheless, we continued to support her as best we could," the statement reads.

The family said the state has an inadequate amount of psychiatric beds.

"Without adequate inpatient beds for crisis, treatment and stabilization, a state mental system fails," the statement reads.

"We have always offered Allie a path home but she has made other choices," the statement reads. "We hope Allie now accepts the treatment she desperately needs for her mental health issues. We also hope that all those who have heard this tragic story withhold judgment about our daughter until all the facts come out.

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Union Leader reporter Mark Hayward contributed to this report.