WINONA, Minn. — The attorney for Baby Angel’s mother has called for stronger community support for pregnant women and new mothers. Kurt Knuesel issued his call after the sentencing of Nichole Baechle, who secretly gave birth and floated the body off in the Mississippi River in 2011. Knuesel, who represented Baechle, said that resources must be available “especially during moments of crisis.” About the Baechle case, Knuesel defended the plea agreement that reduced the charge. He said original manslaughter charge was not supported by medical evidence about the cause of death nor by ambiguity about whether the baby was born alive The plea agreement, which trimmed the charge to a misdemeanor — interference with a dead body — was a more accurate and fair fit to the facts of the case, he said.
Knuesel. His practice focuses on criminal defense. A Winona native.