Family stands by mother suspected in death of newborn son

KNIGHTS LANDING, Calif. - The family of the mother suspected in the death of her 20-day-old boy said they are supporting her.

Authorities found the three-week old body of Justice Rees under heavy brush near the Sacramento River Wednesday morning. His disheveled and disoriented mother Samantha Green was found nearby the morning before outside the town of Knights Landing, about 30 miles west of Sacramento. The Yolo County coroner is still investigating the cause of death and says it appears the baby drowned or died of hypothermia. Green, 23, has been arrested on suspicion of murder.

"Our family is grieving not only for the loss of our grandson Justice, but also the possible loss of our daughter Sami Green," Green's parents said to the Sacramento Bee. "She has never been in trouble with the law. We know in our heart that Sami would never do anything to intentionally harm her newborn son Justice."

Green's partner and the father of the child also offered his support.

"I will stand by her side through all of this," Rees told television station KXTV. "I know that she wouldn't intentionally hurt that baby. If there was some sort of accident or something that either she's not remembering or that she feels ashamed of or guilty about, she knows I'll forgive her."

Green told authorities she and her son were abducted Monday and that she spent hours screaming for help from near the river, a tale investigators say doesn't hold up.

"She made comments about she was there for so many hours screaming and hollering," Yolo Sheriff Ed Prieto said during a news conference Saturday morning. "We were able to determine that perhaps (that) didn't happen.

Green is being held without bail in Yolo County jail.