Kentucky Woman Faces Fetal Homicide Charge After Allegedly Taking Abortion Pills, Burying ‘Developed Male Infant’ in Backyard

A woman has been arrested in Kentucky after police said she allegedly took abortion pills and buried a “developed male infant” in a “shallow grave” in her backyard. 

Melinda Spencer, 35, is facing charges for fetal homicide, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical evidence, the Kentucky Lantern reported Friday. Spencer was arrested after a Campton medical clinic contacted Kentucky State Police (KSP) on the afternoon of December 31 to report that a woman at the clinic told them she had aborted her baby at her home, according to KSP. 

Spencer reportedly told detectives that “she had ordered medication online to complete an abortion” and “took the medication with resulted in the death of a developed male infant,” KSP said in a press release, per the report. Spencer also allegedly told police she “buried the infant on the backside of her property in a shallow grave,” KSP said. 

According to local news outlet WKYT, Spencer told troopers she wanted to abort the baby because he did not belong to her boyfriend. She allegedly told police she placed her baby in a light bulb box before burying him. 

When police went to her home, they found the baby buried in her yard. 

KSP did not say what gestational age the baby was, although an autopsy has been scheduled, according to the report. The case remains under investigation. 

Kentucky has a tight abortion restriction and only allows for an abortion when the mother is at risk of serious injury or death. Separately, Kentucky’s fetal homicide law, which is considered a capital offense, is defined as causing the death of an unborn child, except when a person “acted under the influence of extreme emotional disturbance for which there was reasonable explanation or excuse,” according to the Lantern report. 

The other charges are considered Class D felonies. Kentucky state law clarifies that abuse of a corpse entails treatment “that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities” 

Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.