Baby stolen from murdered mum’s womb
Pittsburgh woman Kia Johnson, 18, was bound and gagged and her near-full term baby cut from her stomach last week.
Andrea Curry-Demus, 38, had been charged with homicide, unlawful restraint and kidnapping, the Associated Press reports.
The baby is “apparently doing well”, although there had been problems initially with a low heart rate and low temperature, a doctor involved in the case said.
Ms Curry-Demus allegedly took the baby boy, with the umbilical cord still attached, to a Pittsburgh hospital on Thursday and said it was hers. Tests showed she had not been pregnant, AP said.
She said she bought the baby for $US1000 ($1030) from the baby’s mother.
Assistant Superintendent James Morton said police were trying to verify that Ms Johnson was the mother of that baby.
The body of Ms Johnson was found bound and cut open in Ms Curry-Demus’s apartment in Pennsylvania on Friday after neighbours noticed a bad odour coming from the unit.
She appeared to have been dead for about two days, said medical examiner Karl Williams, who identified Ms Johnson using dental records.
Her hands and feet were bound with duct tape and her face was covered with plastic and duct tape.
She had been pregnant and her body showed “evidence that there had been a partial evisceration - her abdomen had been opened with a sharp weapon and the uterus had been opened”, Dr Williams said.
Ms Johnson was reportedly due to give birth on July 30.
The women apparently met at Allegheny County Jail on Tuesday when they were visiting different inmates, court papers said.
Video surveillance showed Ms Curry-Demus talking to Ms Johnson for several minutes, police said.
Ms Johnson was wearing the same clothes in the video as she was when her body was found on Friday.
Allegheny County Police Superintendent Charles Moffatt said the jail was the last time Ms Johnson was seen alive.
Source: Daily Telegraph
