WTF. Woman performs her own abortions, but is arrested for murder?!

[Nik]

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OCEAN CITY, Maryland (AP) -- Experts examined genetic material Tuesday from four tiny bodies discovered at the Ocean City home of a woman charged with murder, and investigators resumed digging with bulldozers in a vacant lot next door.

The woman who lives in the modest home, taxi service owner Christy Freeman, was charged with killing her newborn son after his remains were found wrapped in a bloodied towel under a bathroom vanity.

Police believe Freeman caused the boy's death in about the 26th week of pregnancy.

As they searched the home, investigators found three more pre-term infants, two in a garbage bag with what appeared to be a placenta hidden in a bedroom trunk and another in a garbage bag in a mobile home parked outside.

Cadaver dogs indicated there could be more remains in the yard, but none had been found by Tuesday morning, Ocean City Police spokesman Barry Neeb said.

"We don't have an expectation we're going to find something. We just want to be thorough in our investigation," he said.

The state medical examiner's preliminary report on the newborn boy determined it was in about the 26th week of pregnancy, and medical examiners "believe the child was stillborn," a release from police said. But the investigation was still under way into both the cause of that death and whether all four dead infants were related to Freeman.

The grisly discoveries came to light after Freeman, 37, was admitted to a hospital with heavy bleeding late last week. Doctors found evidence of a recent pregnancy but no baby.

Freeman, who at first denied being pregnant, was being held without bail Tuesday awaiting an Aug. 27 preliminary hearing. It was through interviews with her that authorities came to believe she caused the newborn boy's death, Neeb said.

"It was something she said. I can't expand on that," he said.

At a bail hearing Monday, Freeman, who has four living children, professed her innocence but did not offer any explanation about the human remains in her home.

"I want to clear my name in this case," she said.

Her longtime boyfriend and the father of their four children, Raymond W. Godman Jr., has not been charged, and the children were in his custody. "At this point, he is not a suspect, but we are not ruling anyone out," Police Chief Bernadette DiPino said.

According to prosecutors, Godman said he found his girlfriend bleeding in the bathroom last Thursday. When rescuers arrived, Freeman told them she was not and had not recently been pregnant, according to prosecutors.

Later, however, she told police she had delivered a deformed baby and had flushed the remains down the toilet. According to prosecutors, though, the baby was viable, with hands, feet and facial features. A 2005 Maryland law allows murder charges against someone who causes the death of a fetus considered viable.

Worcester County state's attorney Joel Todd said the state will use that statute to pursue the murder charges.

"We will have to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that she did something to cause that baby to be stillborn," Todd said Monday.

She performed her own abortions but she's getting charged with murder?

 

[JD50]

Thats sick, WTF is wrong with people?

 

[OutHouse]

four kids living and the cops found the remains of 4 fetus's? this woman and her long term boyfriend really need to stop f*cking.

and why not murder, if the child was viable like the coroner said then it is murder she killed a human.

 

[slsmnaz]

A 2005 Maryland law allows murder charges against someone who causes the death of a fetus considered viable.

So they followed the law and arrest her.

Also, 4 total were found? Someone needs to teach this woman BC or tell her to quit performing medical procedures in her home.

 

[Arkaign]

This is disgusting. I'm looking for a bone saw and scour pad, I need to wash this from my brain asap.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: Citrix
four kids living and the cops found the remains of 4 fetus's? this woman and her long term boyfriend really need to stop f*cking.

and why not murder, if the child was viable like the coroner said then it is murder she killed a human.

How do they justify abortion then? That's my whole point.

 

[Kadarin]

I strongly believe that abortion should remain legal. IMO this woman should not be charged with murder, but rather with a lesser charge relating to performing unauthorized medical procedures. She should also go through some mandatory training with regard to birth control and so forth.

 

[Jaskalas]

I?m contemplating the need to swiftly execute her and her husband, over the possibility that this small bit of genocide is limited to her newborns and that with enough tax payer money she might *possibly* care about the sanctity of human life not to continue to snuff it out like a dirty stain.

At this point I lean towards them not being worth the cost.

Abortions ARE legal, that little fact makes this all the more intolerable and far removed from any bit of ?understanding?.

 

[jonks]

If she killed her newBORN son, it wasn't an abortion. Need more facts here.

 

[Moonbeam]

The doctors have to get their cut. You can't have people messing about with professionals' potential income.

 

[jackace]

Originally posted by: Jaskalas
Abortions ARE legal, that little fact makes this all the more intolerable and far removed from any bit of ?understanding?.

What's the difference if the women does it herself for free or she goes to a doctor and pays him to do it? The end result is the same

 

[Vic]

Where does abortion figure into this? These were not abortions. Anyone who thinks so needs to do themselves a favor and actually read the article.

 

[jackace]

Considering the baby died at 26 weeks and normal pregnancy is 40 weeks I think a lot of people are considering what she did a self-administered abortion.


Edit

Originally posted by: JD50
Thats sick, WTF is wrong with people?

Have you not seen the videos and pictures of third trimester abortions done by doctors?

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: jackace
Considering the baby died at 26 weeks and normal pregnancy is 40 weeks I think a lot of people are considering what she did a self-administered abortion.

Even if that were the case (the article says that the ME's think it was a stillbirth), 26 weeks is still on the cusp of 3rd trimester and NOT a legal abortion (edit: except in a case of medical emergency or special circumstance, like rape victim).
Plus... it doesn't explain the other bodies, now does it?
Are you implying that self-administered abortions should be exempt from the same regulations that apply to doctor-performed abortions?

 

[ElFenix]

there is evidence that could support murder (being that bodies were found, it'd be like if she gave birth and then dumped the kid in a dumpster to die would be murder). so, she is charged with murder.

oh, and the statute:

§ 2-103. Murder or manslaughter of viable fetus.
(a) "Viable" defined.- For purposes of a prosecution under this title, "viable" has the meaning stated in § 20-209 of the Health - General Article.
(b) Prosecution authorized.- Except as provided in subsections (d) through (f) of this section, a prosecution may be instituted for murder or manslaughter of a viable fetus.
(c) Intent.- A person prosecuted for murder or manslaughter as provided in subsection (b) of this section must have:
(1) intended to cause the death of the viable fetus;
(2) intended to cause serious physical injury to the viable fetus; or
(3) wantonly or recklessly disregarded the likelihood that the person's actions would cause the death of or serious physical injury to the viable fetus.
(d) Inapplicable to termination of pregnancy.- Nothing in this section applies to or infringes on a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy as stated in § 20-209 of the Health - General Article.
(e) Inapplicable to medical professionals administering lawful care.- Nothing in this section subjects a physician or other licensed medical professional to liability for fetal death that occurs in the course of administering lawful medical care.
(f) Inapplicable to actions of woman carrying fetus.- Nothing in this section applies to an act or failure to act of a pregnant woman with regard to her own fetus.
(g) Section does not confer personhood on fetus.- Nothing in this section shall be construed to confer personhood or any rights on the fetus.
(h) Crime not considered "aggravating circumstance".- The commission of first degree murder of a viable fetus under this section, in conjunction with the commission of another first degree murder arising out of the same incident, does not constitute an aggravating circumstance subjecting a defendant to the death penalty under § 2-303(g)(ix) of this title.

so, being the mother of the fetus, she could not be charged with murder under this statute. it's the regular murder statute she's charged under.

 

[jackace]

I don't think self-administered abortions should be exempt.

 

[JD50]

Originally posted by: jackace
Considering the baby died at 26 weeks and normal pregnancy is 40 weeks I think a lot of people are considering what she did a self-administered abortion.


Edit

Originally posted by: JD50
Thats sick, WTF is wrong with people?

Have you not seen the videos and pictures of third trimester abortions done by doctors?

Yes, and its absolutely disgusting.

 

[StageLeft]

This country's abortion laws are a comical joke, incredibly hypocritical.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: jackace
Considering the baby died at 26 weeks and normal pregnancy is 40 weeks I think a lot of people are considering what she did a self-administered abortion.

Even if that were the case (the article says that the ME's think it was a stillbirth), 26 weeks is still on the cusp of 3rd trimester and NOT a legal abortion (edit: except in a case of medical emergency or special circumstance, like rape victim).
Plus... it doesn't explain the other bodies, now does it?
Are you implying that self-administered abortions should be exempt from the same regulations that apply to doctor-performed abortions?

What, exactly, is the difference? A dead fetus is a dead fetus.

 

[JEDIYoda]

mis-leading title!!

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
mis-leading title!!

How is the title mis-leading.

 

[senseamp]

Look at the bright side. Less of this dumb woman's offspring running around.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: senseamp
Look at the bright side. Less of this dumb woman's offspring running around.

:frown:

 

[Gonad the Barbarian]

The state medical examiner's preliminary report on the newborn boy determined it was in about the 26th week of pregnancy, and medical examiners "believe the child was stillborn," a release from police said.

Better title might be "Woman was inducing miscarriages." As horrible and tasteless as this is I don't see how it is tantamount to murder.

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: Gonad the Barbarian

The state medical examiner's preliminary report on the newborn boy determined it was in about the 26th week of pregnancy, and medical examiners "believe the child was stillborn," a release from police said.

Better title might be "Woman was inducing miscarriages." As horrible and tasteless as this is I don't see how it is tantamount to murder.

What it sounds like is a kind of witchhunt where someone didn't like what she did, so they are trying to find something serious to charge her with. A woman does have the right to terminate her pregnancy (maybe up to a certain point within that pregnancy, I do not know the relevant law there), so if that's what she did, then murder is NOT an appropriate charge.