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Fetal Abductions are characterized by the kidnapping and murder of a pregnant woman with the intent of performing a cesarean section to steal the unborn baby.

Background
Abduction of infants through cesarean section is rare, but not unheard of. In a study done by the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children, 9 of the 247 infants abducted between 1983 through 2006 were taken through Cesarean Section.. In an article published in 2002 by the American Academy of Forensic Sciences entitled, "Newborn Kidnapping by Cesarean Section" authored by Burgess, the author suggests that this type of murder could be classified as a new category of personal cause homicide.

Abductor Profile
Vernon J. Gerberth, in his book Practical Homicide Investigation states that in all cases, the offenders will fake their own pregnancies and convince friends and family members that they are about to give birth. They put on weight and wear maternity clothes. They will even go so far as to set up nurseries and show people “their” sonograms.

Offenders will often pre-select their victims and stalk them. In Gerberth's article, "Homicides Involving The Theft of a Fetus From a Pregnant Victim," he states that the offenders are “invariably a woman, with a fixation of obtaining the victim mother’s baby.” In most cases, these women will befriend their victims by offering gifts or help to the victim.

There are generally two motives behind a fetal abduction. The first is to cement a relationship with a male partner by providing him a baby. The second is to act out a fantasy of delivering a child.

Dr. Marlene Dalley wrote in her article “Abductions from the Womb: Cesarean Section Murder a New Category of Homicide” that these kind of abductors are different from the typical infant abductors, because “a fetus abductor is so determined to give birth to a child that she actually acts out the fantasy of delivering the baby herself, rather than kidnapping one already born.” Burgess et al. describe it as the abductor’s way of becoming “a mother by proxy by acting out a fantasy of [her] delivering a baby. It is the way she can feel it is her baby to bond with and to insure she would be the first mother image to the baby.”

Burgess et al. also state that abductors have also been known to commit suicide after being convicted. This adds a dimension to the fantasy, as the minute the fantasy is challenged, suicide is a quick option. So, if they carry out the fantasy of it being their baby, rather than be faced with the reality of it not being their baby, they may commit suicide instead.

These women are generally not classified as being insane, however. Geberth states “The women… were fully conscious of their actions and intentions. They chose to kill the victim mother for her unborn child to fulfill a narcissistic need. The offenders then disposed of the victim mother to effectively cover-up their crime and avoid detection… This psychopathology is more consistent with psychopathy than psychosis.” Burgess et al. also point out that experts studying these women have often diagnosed personality disorders instead of insanity. The women have much planning and organization in getting what they want.

Albuquerque, New Mexico - 1987
According to the article “Ten Cases of Fetal Abduction in the US,” the first recorded incidence of fetal abduction in the United States happened in 1987 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. On July 23, 1987, Darcie Pierce, approached Cindy Ray, who was eight months pregnant, as she left prenatal clinic at Kirkland Air Force Base. Pierce threatened her with a toy gun and forced her into a car. She planned on taking Ray to her home, where she had surgical books and instruments. Upon finding her husband home, she then drove Ray to an isolated area and strangled her into unconsciousness. Pierce tied Ray to a tree and cut her abdomen with car keys, delivering a baby girl. She left Ray to bleed to death. Pierce needed a birth certificate, so she took the baby to a car dealership and told a friend she had just delivered a baby. After tests revealed that she had not delivered a baby, Pierce was taken into custody.

Brownsville, Texas - 1992
In 1992 a pregnant woman in Brownsville, Texas was befriended by two sisters: Rosa and Paulyna Botello. Paulyna claimed to be pregnant as well. The women took regular shopping trips, and were on their way to a shopping trip in Mexico, when they stopped by Paulyna’s obstetrician. The sisters gave the victim mother the “gift” of her and her baby to be able to visit the doctor as well, since she was on welfare and did not have a great deal of money. The doctor told the women that the mother was fine and he would see them in his office in Mexico. Once they arrived, he re-examined the victim mother and gave her a shot that rendered her unconscious. He then performed a cesarean section and gave the baby to the sisters. Two days later the clinic staff told her the women had her child. Before releasing her, they had her sign some papers that released them from any liability. The victim mother was able to eventually get back to Brownsville where she reported the incident to the authorities. Paulyna claimed that the victim mother agreed to give up the baby due to financial problems. An arrest warrant was issued. Paulyna insisted that the child was hers and had obtained a birth certificate from a mid wife. DNA testing proved it to be the victim mother’s child. The child was returned to the family’s custody.

Addison, Illinois - 1995
In Addison, Illinois, Jacqueline Williams, her boyfriend Fedell Caffey and her cousin Lavern Ward went to the apartment of Ward’s ex-girlfriend, Deborah Evans. Evans had a nineteen month old child by Ward. On November 16, 1995, The abductors shot her in the head and stabbed the ten year old daughter to death. They then performed a crude cesarean section, and took the newborn and eight year old boy with them, leaving the nineteen month old unharmed. The abductors cut the eight year old boy’s throat and left the body ten miles from the crime scene. People from the community identified the abductors, and the newborn was recovered safely.

Tuscaloosa, Alabama - 1996
In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Felicia Scott and Carenthia Curry, who was nine months pregnant, were friends. On January 31, 1996, the two had plans to go out to dinner. When Curry did not return home, her family reported her missing. Scott returned early the next morning and told her husband that she had just had a baby. They went to Scott’s sister’s house, and then the hospital where they had the baby checked. They returned home while a massive search was going for Curry. The police interviewed Scott, since she was the last one seen with Curry. She showed them her hospital papers, but then realized that the police would figure out she had previously had a hysterectomy. Scott was then in the middle of telling her father about finding the baby in her car when the police arrested her. Curry’s body was found three months later about 2.4 miles away from Scott’s sister’s house.

Fresno, California - 1998
Josephina Saldana contacted Margarita Flores in Fresno, California, about receiving free baby furniture and a one year supply of diapers. On September 14, 1998, Saldana picked up Flores at her house to take her to the warehouse to collect the gifts. When she didn’t return, her family contact the police. The next day, Saldana arrived at Valley’s Children’s Hospital with a dead fetus, claiming to have given birth to the child in her car. When tests revealed that she hadn’t just had a baby, she was arrested. While in prison, she hung herself.

Ravenna, Ohio - 2000
Theresa Andrews, who was nine months pregnant, disappeared from her home in Ravenna, Ohio on September 27, 2000. She had received a call about showing her Jeep she had for sale to an interested buyer that was eventually traced to Michelle Bica. When interviewed, Michelle told police she had given birth to a boy the day that Andrews disappeared at a local hospital. Police checked out the story and found that she had not been at that hospital. When they returned to the home to further interview Bica, she committed suicide by shooting herself in the mouth with a .22 caliber gun. The baby was recovered unharmed.

Okemah, Oklahoma - 2003
In Okemah Oklahoma, Effie Goodson offered Carolyn Simpson, who was six months pregnant, a ride home from work, also offering to give Simpson some baby clothes on December 22, 2003. When Simpson didn’t return home, her husband reported her missing. The next day, Goodson arrived at the hospital with the three-month premature infant. Hospital workers pronounced the infant dead; tests showed that Goodson hadn’t recently delivered a baby. Authorities were notified. Simpson’s body was found a few days later in a ditch

Skidmore, Missouri - 2004
Lisa Montgomery had met Bobbie Jo Stinnet at a dog show in April of 2004. Montgomery contacted Stinnet asking for directions to her house on the premise of buying one of her dogs. On December 16, 2004, Montgomery arrived at the house and strangled Stinnet, then cut out her baby. Investigators were able to trace emails to Montgomery, who confessed to the crime.

Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky - 2005
On February 10, 2005, Sarah Brady was invited to Katie Smith’s apartment in Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky. Smith told Brady that her online delivery was accidentally sent to her apartment. The apartment contained surgical tools and a nursery. Smith attacked Brady, who fought back and killed her attacker.

Kittanning, Pennsylvania - 2005
In Kittanning, Pennsylvania Peggy Jo Conner knocked her neighbor, Valerie Oskin, unconscious with a baseball bat. She then took Oskin and her seven year old son in her car and drove away. After dropping her son off at a relatives’ house, she took Oskin to a wooded area fifteen miles away, and began to perform a Cesarean Section over the scars of an old one. A teenager walking by saw what was happening, and even though Conner assured him everything was fine, he told his father who reported it to the police.

St. Louis, Illinois - 2006
Tiffany Hall and Jimella Tunstall grew up together and went to the same school. In St. Louis in 2006, Hall went to Tunstall’s apartment and killed her. She cut out the baby from the womb and drowned Tunstall’s three children, ages seven, two, and one. Tunstall’s body was found in a vacant law. The baby did not survive.

Kennewick, Washington - 2008
In Kennewick, Washington, in 2008, Phiengchai Sisouvanh Synhavong stabbed Araceli Camacho Gomez in the chest multiple times and cut out her baby. Court documents say that Gomez was found with her hands and feet wound in yarn. Synhavong called the police and tried to pass the baby off as her own. When tests revealed that she had not just delivered a baby, Synhavong was arrested.

Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania - 2008
Andrea Curry-Demus, who had just been released after eight years in prison for stabbing a woman in a plot to take her baby and kidnapping a baby in the hospital, attacked Kia Johnson and cut the baby out of her womb in 2008. Johnson was found in Curry-Demus’ apartment in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. The baby survived.

Worcester, Massachusetts - 2009
On July 27, 2009 the body Darlene L. Haynes, 23, was discovered wrapped in a comforter in her apartment, she was eight months pregnant. The fetus was not recovered at the scene. On July 29th, Julie A. Corey, 35, along with her boyfriend, Alex Dion, were arrested at a homeless-shelter in Plymouth, N.H. The baby, whom Ms. Haynes had planned to name Sheila Marie, weighed 4-1/2 pounds and was in good health. Julie A. Corey is currently being ordered held on $500,000 cash bail, on kidnapping charges. Other charges are pending. http://www.telegram.com/article/20090729/NEWS/907290408/1116