47-year-old Dominique Cottrez, a French nursing assistant who confessed to killing eight of her newborn babies in 2010 has now been freed.

Cottrez who has been under police custody since July 2010 was convicted of killing her newborn babies between 1989 and 2006 in Villers-au-Tertre, France. Since she refused to use contraception, she instead strangled each of the babies after giving birth in secret.

Police were alerted after two of the bodies were found in the garden of her parent’s old house. The new owners were digging up a duck pond when they came across the remains. After further investigation, six more bodies were found in the garage of the family’s new house. The remains were wrapped in hermetically sealed bags and hidden under a pile of objects.

Cottrez explained that she was an alleged victim of incest and was worried that her dad had fathered the children. Her neighbors were shocked by the charges against Cottrez, explaining that she was a “pillar to the local community.” Prior to her conviction, she lived with her husband, one of their 2 grown daughters, and a grandson.

Despite completing eight pregnancies, Cottrez’s husband Pierre-Marie was allegedly unaware of her condition and has not been charged as an accomplice. Cottrez was able to conceal the pregnancies because of her obesity.

While it’s unclear why she was released, Cottrez is still awaiting trial on eight charges of voluntary homicide.