A woman who has been in a Florida county jail since 2022 got pregnant, provoking an investigation. Her sister and attorney have demanded answers from corrections officials.
On Christmas, Daisy Link, 28, called her family to inform them that she was almost four months pregnant, NBC News reported. Link’s sister, Crystal Barreto, said, “I could not find words. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Right away, I was concerned about Daisy and her safety.”
Link, who is currently at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County on the charge of second-degree murder, has not gone to trial yet. She is also charged with battery by a detainee on a visitor or other detainee.
Daisy Link’s criminal defence attorney, Marlene Montaner, clarified that the second-degree murder was the result of a domestic violence incident. According to Montaner, Link fired a single gunshot while attempting to protect herself from an abusive partner.
Her sister and her attorney have been pushing to get her discharged on house arrest, especially now that she is pregnant. However, both have no clue how she got pregnant in the first place. Barreto said her sister had not informed her of what happened.
“My sister, when she was able to call us here and there, was trying to tell us pieces of the story, but is very scared to say anything over the phone because her calls are being recorded,” Barreto said.
“The allegations right now are that it’s another inmate’s,” said Montaner. However, the county jail has separate floors for male and female inmates.
Montaner also called the reports by other media outlets “implausible” as they suggested the pregnancy might have been the result of a male inmate passing semen through an air conditioning vent. She has raised questions about the corrections officials, blaming them for Link’s pregnancy.
According to a spokesperson from Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation, another inmate told the officials that she suspected Link was pregnant. The officials confirmed the pregnancy after a thorough medical examination, and the matter is currently under investigation. They also confirmed that the pregnancy was not the result of sexual assault.
“While there is no evidence of sexual battery against our inmate at this time, the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy are currently under active investigation,” the spokesperson said.
Barreto said Link tried telling officials about her pregnancy earlier, but they mocked her for it. “Nobody should come out pregnant in jail. This is really ridiculous,” Barreto said, expressing concerns about her sister’s safety.
(With inputs from agencies)