Alabama woman, Amber Booth, was arrested in Arkansas for selling her baby to a couple there.
Booth's sister-in-law reported the transaction to police. According to the report, Booth's sister-in-law said that Booth had a baby in November 2024 and took the child to Elkins, Arkansas, around December 20th. The baby was then transferred to a 43-year-old woman there.
Booth's sister-in-law said,
She suddenly had extra money and was buying clothing and other items ... Furthermore, [the sister-in-law] stated that Amber had told her that money was offered for the child. [The sister-in-law] said that Amber had no ties to [the woman] and had not met her before.
When questioned, Booth told the police,
she received several off-brand clothing items and $50 cash for the child.
When police contacted the woman in question, she said that Booth had signed custody over to them.
However, that adoption wasn't very legal as there was no judge involved in the situation, and there was a monetary exchange.
The Elkins woman and her husband have refused to give up the child, and the Arkansas Department of Human Services has not removed the child from their care. The couple has filed for permanent guardianship of the child, but Booth's family filed to intervene, asserting they would be better guardians.
I would assume that buying a baby is probably as illegal as selling one, even in Arkansas, but somehow, there's a custody hearing being held in March over who gets to keep the child: the family or the baby buyers.
Booth has been charged with one count of accepting compensation for adoption, a Class C felony and is facing trial a few days afterward.
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