Amy Grossberg grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey, an affluent suburb of New York City. She attended Ramapo High School, where she was known as a talented artist. During her junior year, she began dating Brian Peterson, a fellow student and co-captain of the soccer team. Their relationship continued after high school, even as they attended different colleges—Grossberg at the University of Delaware and Peterson at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. ​

In 1996, Grossberg became pregnant but kept the pregnancy a secret from her family and friends. On November 12, 1996, she went into labor and contacted Peterson, who drove to meet her. They checked into a Comfort Inn in Newark, Delaware, where Grossberg delivered a baby boy. Believing the infant to be stillborn, Peterson placed the baby in a garbage bag and disposed of him in a dumpster behind the motel. ​

The following day, a cleaning staff member discovered bloodied sheets in the motel room, prompting an investigation. Grossberg, experiencing medical complications from the delivery, was hospitalized, leading authorities to connect her condition with the evidence found at the motel. An autopsy revealed that the infant had died from multiple skull fractures caused by blunt force trauma, indicating that the baby was born alive and had been killed shortly after birth. ​

Grossberg and Peterson were arrested and initially charged with first-degree murder, with prosecutors considering the death penalty. In March 1998, Peterson pleaded guilty to manslaughter and agreed to testify against Grossberg. The following month, Grossberg also pleaded guilty to manslaughter. On July 9, 1998, Grossberg was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, while Peterson received a two-year sentence. Both were released early for good behavior—Peterson in January 2000 after serving 20 months, and Grossberg in May 2000 after serving 22 months. ​

After her release, Grossberg returned to New Jersey and started a custom invitation business called Just Because Invitations. Peterson relocated to Florida, where he married and worked in his family's video business.