A woman in Utah was charged for killing six of her seven newborn babies then putting their dead bodies in cardboard boxes. The boxes were found in the house where the 39-year-old Megan Hunstman used to live.

According to the police, Ms Hunstman admitted during the investigation that she strangled her babies immediately after giving birth to each of them.

Ms Hunstman was arrested and detained in the Utah County jail where she was charged with six counts of infanticide. She admitted to murdering her babies in a span of 10 years. A judge set bail at $6.38 million in a hearing on April 15.

Authorities also found the remains of the seventh baby, but they believe the infant was a stillborn.

After a court hearing in Provo, Utah, District Judge Steven Hansen ordered bail at $1 million for each murder charge. Court spokeswoman Nancy Volmer said Ms Hunstman remained in jail for the bail hearing and only appears in a video conference.

Ms Hunstman has been formally charged, but it was not clear to Ms Volmer if she had access to legal services. An arraignment hearing was set for Ms Huntsman after formal charges were filed.

Police assigned to the case said Ms Huntsman is the only person of interest in the case and she remains cooperative during the investigation. Authorities arrested her when Darren Brad West, her estranged husband, found the remains of one baby while he was cleaning the garage.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Mr West is believed to have no part of the baby murders. Authorities were also planning to conduct DNA tests on the remains to determine their paternity.

The remains of six other babies were found all wrapped in a shirt or towel and stuffed in plastic bags. Each bag was stored in separate cardboard boxes in the former home of Ms Huntsman in Pleasant Grove. She lived there until 2011.

According to authorities, the babies that Ms Hunstman killed were born from about 1996 to 2006. Mr West was sentenced on state and federal drug convictions and is now living in a halfway house in Salt Lake City.

Neighbour Aaron Hawker, 73, was shocked to hear the news. He lives next door to the house where the babies were murdered. In a phone interview, Ms Hawker said Ms Huntsman had babysat his grandchildren about 10 years ago. He described Ms Huntsman as "shy" and did not see her looking pregnant.