WARNING: This story contains disturbing details.

A Charlottetown woman accused of killing her three-month-old child made her first appearance in P.E.I. Supreme Court Thursday.

Cassie Acorn, 39, entered the courtroom with her wrists and ankles shackled.

Charlottetown Police had laid the first-degree murder charge the day before. 

Det.-Sgt. Darren MacDougall told CBC News that police received a report on March 17 that a baby in the care of the IWK Health Centre in Halifax had sustained skull fractures the previous day. 

He said that led to swelling and bleeding in the child’s brain and ultimately her death.

MacDougall said the child, identified in an obituary as Winter Elizabeth Rose Acorn, died as a result of the injuries on March 20.

He said Cassie Acorn wasn’t known to police and there were no other calls “in relation to the relationship between to mom and her infant daughter,” to his knowledge.

“It’s definitely a difficult investigation, as all are when you’re dealing with a homicide,” MacDougall said. “But it’s what we do, and in this particular case, we endeavoured to collect as much evidence as we could to arrive at the facts. And here we are.”

MacDougall said the investigation continues, with the help of the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner Service.

Released with conditions

Acorn was held in custody after she was charged but has now been released with conditions on her activities in place.

She is not allowed to leave P.E.I., has to inform police of any address changes, and has to forfeit any passports, firearms or firearms licences.  

Crown prosecutor John Diamond said the reason for the release is the length of time it will take to get a complete report from the Nova Scotia Medical Examiner — about five months. 

Both the Crown and defence are seeking a publication ban on any evidence in the case.

“If there’s a jury selected, then anything that’s being said, that’s being reported, can taint a jury pool and that’s a problem,” Diamond said.