CASSVILLE, Mo. -- The 16-year-old mother of a newborn baby whose body was found in a plastic bag is in juvenile detention. Barry County sheriff’s deputies found the baby's body in a closet at a home in Seligman on Friday.

Barry County authorities say the teenager was placed in the county juvenile department after a hearing on Tuesday morning. Deputies say they've finished their end of the paperwork and are pushing for a second-degree murder charge, a decision that will up to the juvenile department or, if she’s certified as an adult, the Barry County prosecuting attorney.

The details of this case are shocking to many, including those who work every day so similar tragedies don’t happen.

The case leaves gaping questions such as why the teen didn’t tell anyone that she was pregnant and how her parents didn’t know. One agency says the horrific ending of the child's life might have been different with a little communication.

For a teen facing an unplanned pregnancy, taking the first steps toward help can be frightening. What's scarier, for those on the other side of the counter, is thinking of the women who don't get the chance.

“No young woman should feel alone when faced with an unplanned pregnancy,” said Cindi Boston of the Pregnancy Care Center in Springfield.

Alone is something the 16-year-old mother may have felt. Resources are something that it seems she didn't use.

That upsets Boston, who wishes that teen had walked into her office, where the goals sound simple.

“We bring help to those who are in the beginning of a crisis, to de-crisis the situation, then walk them through their pregnancy options,” said Boston.

The teen's home in Seligman is 40 miles from the closest Pregnancy Care Center.

"Certainly people in rural areas find more transportation challenges,” said Boston.

She may have felt ashamed to tell her parents or ask someone for a ride. Boston says silence can no longer be an option and distance is no excuse.

"Young women just need to pick up the phone and call an organization that would be helpful to them,” she said. “Teachers, counselors . . . if they're not comfortable with one, they have to reach out to somebody who can help them."

Several agencies in the Ozarks work each day to provide support, some 24 hours a day, so women are not alone.

They include Pregnancy Care Center , (417) 877-0800; Planned Parenthood, (417) 883-5899, and Parenting Life Skills Center, (417) 831-9596.