Ashley Ard became known as ‘the most hated woman in Alaska’ after leaving her newborn baby girl for dead in a local park, within hours of giving birth to her in the bath at home.

The 24-year-old, originally from Virginia, was charged with second-degree murder and faced up to 99 years in jail, with members of the Eagle River community calling for her to face the death penalty. 

Her husband Kennard, with whom she already shared a daughter, denied all knowledge of her pregnancy, claiming he had no idea she was expecting despite having sex with her the week before she gave birth.  

Throughout the complex legal case that ensued, which spanned five years and saw Ashley separate from Kennard and remarry before becoming a mother again while awaiting trial, her defense team insisted she was innocent.

Now a new four-part BBC Three documentary series, Accused: A Mother on Trial,