Woman kills 7 newborn babies - leaves them in boxes

[MrDudeMan]

Link

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (AP) — Police in Utah are questioning a mother and family members about the killings of seven babies whose bodies were found stuffed in cardboard boxes in a garage.


Megan Huntsman, 39, is accused of killing her babies after giving birth to the children between 1996 and 2006, investigators said. She was booked Sunday on six counts of murder. It wasn't immediately clear if Huntsman has an attorney or why there were six counts and not seven.

The gruesome case has raised a series of questions about how the killings occurred despite Huntsman carrying out what neighbors said seemed like a normal existence. Police declined to comment on a motive and on what Huntsman said during an interview with investigators.

Her estranged husband made the discovery while cleaning out the garage after recently getting out of prison. Authorities do not believe he was aware of the killings and he isn't a person of interest at this time.

Police Capt. Michael Roberts said officers responded to a call from him Saturday about a dead infant, and then they found the six other bodies.


This photo provided by the Utah County jail shows Megan Huntsman, who was booked into the Utah County jail on suspicion of killing six of her newborn children over the past decade. Seven dead babies were found in a garage at a Pleasant Grove home where Huntsman lived up until 2011.AP: Utah County Jail

This photo provided by the Utah County jail shows Megan Huntsman, who was booked into the Utah County jail on suspicion of killing six of her newborn children over the past decade.

Family and neighbors identified the estranged husband as Darren West, who has been in prison on drug-related charges.

Roberts said police believe West and Huntsman were together when the babies were born.

"We don't believe he had any knowledge of the situation," Roberts told The Associated Press

Asked how West could not have known about the situation, Roberts replied, "That's the million-dollar question. Amazing."

The babies' bodies were sent to the Utah medical examiner's office for tests, including one to determine the cause of death. DNA samples taken from the suspect and her husband will determine definitively whether the two are the parents, as investigators believe.

Huntsman also has three daughters — one teenager and two young adults — who lived at the house.

Neighbors in the middle-class neighborhood of mostly older homes 35 miles (60 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City say they were shocked by the accusations and perplexed that the woman's older children still living in the home didn't know their mother was pregnant or notice anything suspicious.

Police say West made the grisly discovery at the house owned by his parents in a city of about 35,000 people at the foot of snow-capped mountains. It's a nondescript, newer home with a brick facade and a star ornament hanging by the door.

Several police cars blocked the entrance to the house Sunday evening as officers milled about with the belongings from the garage strewn across the front lawn.

Late Sunday, West's family issued a statement saying they were in a "state of shock and confusion."

West pleaded guilty in federal court in 2005 to two counts of possessing chemicals intended to be used in manufacturing methamphetamine, court records show. In August 2006, he was sentenced to 9 years in prison, but appealed the term three times. He maintained his innocence and said he never had any intention to manufacture meth. It's unclear when he was released.

Neighbors told the AP they were shocked and horrified by the accusations of what went on inside the home. None of them even knew Huntsman was pregnant in recent years.

The family members seemed like nice people and good neighbors, said Aaron and Kathie Hawker, who lives next door.

Huntsman moved out several years ago, leaving her three daughters to live alone, the Hawkers said. They weren't sure where Huntsman has since been living.

Unbelievable. I want to know how the older kids didn't figure this out. Maybe they actually knew, but they could be so screwed up from living with a person who would do this that they handled it totally wrong.

 

[radtechtips]

Scary because I live 45 minutes away

 

[Printer Bandit]

someone besides her had to have known, especially if they've ever been in that garage. imagine what it would smell like on a hot summer's day.

 

[BoberFett]

Wow, those are insane eyes.

 

[blake0812]

Wow, those are insane eyes.

"I've seen some shit"

 

[MarkXIX]

Nuke her from orbit, it's the only way to be sure.

 

[Pardus]

 

[z1ggy]

Sounds like a good lady. Let's keep her around a while to see if she can manage to contribute some good to this world.

On the other hand....Nuke from orbit sounds okay, too.

 

[Gunbuster]

Doesn't look so incredibly fat that she could hide being pregnant. Neighbors never wondered why the lady was pregnant for 7 years and had no baby's to show for it?

 

[dank69]

Probably thinks abortion/birth control will land her in hell.

 

[DrPizza]

To friends, neighbors, relatives: "I gave the baby up for adoption." Perhaps the husband didn't want another child and told her to put it up for adoption? And, she lied to the husband.

Smell would be pretty bad - unless the babies were sealed in a garbage bag before being put into the boxes. Still, I'd suspect there would be some odor. Now, I could put a body in my garage or basement in a bag and into a box, and my wife wouldn't know - but she doesn't ever go into the garage. If some of the smell came into the house - "must be a rat/chipmunk/squirrel/cat/whatever got in there and died. That's what it smells like. I'll see if I can find it and take care of it." It's difficult to believe the wife could get away with it in a typical relationship though; usually it's the male that has to deal with those smelly things.

AND, even with the story that she gave it up for adoption - someone had to pick her and the baby up at the hospital - who took her home each time? They would know the baby went to the house. Hard to believe that 7 babies and the husband never brought her home with the baby.

 

[rudeguy]

why is this such a big deal?

If she had done the same thing a month earlier, it would have been her "right". Why is killing a baby after it pops out so outrageous but killing the same baby 30 days earlier is acceptable?

 

[T9D]

why is this such a big deal?

If she had done the same thing a month earlier, it would have been her "right". Why is killing a baby after it pops out so outrageous but killing the same baby 30 days earlier is acceptable?

I agree, it's just as sick to kill a baby if it's sooner and considered abortion. But somehow women tell themselves they are not as bad as this if they go to to a clinic and do it. It's horrible either way.

 

[momeNt]

why is this such a big deal?

If she had done the same thing a month earlier, it would have been her "right". Why is killing a baby after it pops out so outrageous but killing the same baby 30 days earlier is acceptable?

I feel she does have a right to not care to them. Society cannot conscript her labor to care for the children. But there were better ways to go about exercising her freedom to not care for them, and collectively a society should be able to punish her for that.

Ideally this wouldn't be criminally punishing her like jail or capital punishment, but naming and shaming. Making sure she cannot partake in economic activity by making her deeds known.

 

[Shawn]

I don't understand how no one knew she was pregnant. I guess she just kept getting pregnant and people always thought she was just fat? Even so, someone should have noticed a smell from the garage.

 

[Shawn]

why is this such a big deal?

If she had done the same thing a month earlier, it would have been her "right". Why is killing a baby after it pops out so outrageous but killing the same baby 30 days earlier is acceptable?

Where is it legal to abort an 8 month fetus???

 

[Pheran]

why is this such a big deal?

If she had done the same thing a month earlier, it would have been her "right". Why is killing a baby after it pops out so outrageous but killing the same baby 30 days earlier is acceptable?

1. Third trimester abortions are not legal.
2. Take this horseshit to P&N.

 

[momeNt]

Where is it legal to abort an 8 month fetus???

fine, preconception abortions. The baby/fetus doesn't know any different anyways.

Besides, the calculus is different now, there is a 50/50 chance in the USA that they will be a tax receiver not a tax payer, so society wanting every single child possible isn't necessarily the best goal to have.

 

[rudeguy]

1. Third trimester abortions are not legal.
2. Take this horseshit to P&N.

why? This thread was posted in Off Topic.

 

[GTaudiophile]

Abortion. Safe. Legal. And not so rare. Let her off the hook!

 

[ImpulsE69]

I'm struggling thinking it was probably for the best. If she hadn't and raised them..we'd probably have 7 future serial killers on the loose.

 

[ThinClient]

why is this such a big deal?

If she had done the same thing a month earlier, it would have been her "right". Why is killing a baby after it pops out so outrageous but killing the same baby 30 days earlier is acceptable?

I'm conflicted on the matter because of this argument.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Abortion thread in 3...2...

 

[Keeper]

Wow, those are insane eyes.

And some one or some ONES mashed that at LEAST 6 times.

Shudder......

 

[DCal430]

Where is it legal to abort an 8 month fetus???

In basically every state.