Whew! You won’t believe what this Arkansas couple allegedly did. Darien Urban and Shalene Ehlers are making headlines after authorities revealed the shocking lengths they went to when trying to sell their 6-month-old baby for beer and cash. The bizarre case has left locals stunned as the couple learns their fate in court. Now, folks are raising questions about how far some will go for a quick payday—or a drink.
RELATED: Say WHAT?! Arkansas Couple Arrested & Charged After Allegedly Trying To Sell Their 2-Month-Old Son For $1,000
Urban Jailed, Ehlers On Probation In Baby Sale
According to reports, 22-year-old Darien Urban recently pleaded guilty to one count of attempted accepting compensation for adoption. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a separate charge of endangering the welfare of a minor. Judge Brad Karren sentenced the father to three years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Judge Karren also added an additional three-year sentence, suspended.
Shalene Ehlers, 21, the child’s mother, received a far lighter punishment. She pleaded guilty to both counts—attempting to accept compensation and endangering the child’s welfare. However, the judge deferred acceptance of her plea. Instead, she was placed on state-supervised probation for six years, a resolution that could wipe her criminal record clean if she completes it successfully.
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Shocking Baby “Transaction” Caught On Video At Campground
Authorities say the attempted “transaction” at Beaver Lake Hide-A-Way Campground in Rogers, Arkansas, in September 2024, was as bizarre as it sounds. As previously reported, a couple in the campground claimed that Urban and Ehlers “tried to give up the baby for a 6-pack of beer and then wanted $1,000 for the baby.” Investigators also obtained cellphone video and multiple witness accounts confirming that the parents signed a written contract with the would-be buyer, Cody Nathaniel Martin, agreeing to transfer custody of the infant.
Baby Almost Sold For Beer In Shocking Scheme
The story takes an even stranger twist with the role of alcohol. Ehlers allegedly asked another couple for beer earlier in the day. When they declined, a man named Ricky Crawford offered beer in exchange for keeping the baby overnight. Crawford, reportedly intoxicated, became part of the handoff that ultimately led to the contract with Martin. Investigators said the actions of Urban and Ehlers created a “substantial risk of death or serious physical injury” to the infant, who had been left in the care of strangers for the promise of beer and cash. After being Mirandized, the couple reportedly admitted to law enforcement that they had planned to sell their baby, leaving investigators and the community in disbelief over the sheer audacity of the scheme.
