Bill the Cat
January 24th 2008, 12:28 PM
A slain Marine's fetus was not born alive, according to preliminary findings from a military autopsy, an Onslow County, North Carolina, district attorney said.
Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach's remains -- and those of her fetus -- were found in Laurean's back yard, police say.
"The initial opinion is that the fetus was not born alive," Dewey Hudson said.
The military is performing further tests on a lung tissue sample to determine whether the fetus' lungs contained oxygen, he said.
If oxygen is found, it would mean the baby took a breath. In that case, Hudson said, Laurean could face a second murder charge. North Carolina does not allow murder charges for suspects accused of killing a fetus.
There are currently 37 states with a fetucide law on the books. I'd have figured that North Carolina was one :huh: I also thought that Laci and Connor's law (http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/abortion/unbornbill32504.html) would apply here :huh:
Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach's remains -- and those of her fetus -- were found in Laurean's back yard, police say.
"The initial opinion is that the fetus was not born alive," Dewey Hudson said.
The military is performing further tests on a lung tissue sample to determine whether the fetus' lungs contained oxygen, he said.
If oxygen is found, it would mean the baby took a breath. In that case, Hudson said, Laurean could face a second murder charge. North Carolina does not allow murder charges for suspects accused of killing a fetus.
There are currently 37 states with a fetucide law on the books. I'd have figured that North Carolina was one :huh: I also thought that Laci and Connor's law (http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/abortion/unbornbill32504.html) would apply here :huh: