Conviction In Slain-Mom, Stolen-Fetus Case

Mo. Woman Killed Expectant Mother And Cut Fetus From Her Womb; Death Penalty Likely Sought

(AP)  A woman whose attorneys had argued that she was suffering from delusions when she killed an expectant mother, cut the baby from her womb and took the infant home was convicted Monday.

Jurors convicted Lisa Montgomery, 39, of kidnapping resulting in death in the 2004 attack on 23-year-old Bobbie Jo Stinnett in the northwest Missouri town of Skidmore.

The jury deliberated for about four hours before rejecting Montgomery's insanity defense. The jury could have acquitted her outright or found her not guilty by reason of insanity. Prosecutors said they plan to seek the death penalty.

After the verdict was read, Montgomery dried her eyes and one of her attorneys patted her back to console her.

Stinnett's husband, Zeb, and Montgomery's husband, Kevin, showed no emotion.

Defense attorneys claimed Montgomery was suffering from pseudocyesis, which causes a woman to falsely believe she is pregnant and exhibit outward signs of pregnancy.

They portrayed her as a victim of severe mental illness whose delusion of being pregnant was being threatened, causing her to enter a dreamlike state when the killing took place.

They also argued that she had post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by mental, physical and sexual abuse in her childhood.

But during closing arguments, federal prosecutor Roseann Ketchmark called the pseudocyesis claim "voodoo science."

She said Montgomery was driven by fear because she believed her ex-husband, Carl Boman, would expose that she was lying about being pregnant and use it against her as he sought custody of two of the couple's four children. A custody hearing had been set for January 2005.

"It's not pseudocyesis or post-traumatic stress disorder," Ketchmark said. "And even if you wrap them up and put delusions around them, it's not insanity."

Ketchmark said Montgomery plotted the slaying and abduction and took pains to cover up that planning after she was caught.

"She knows she's not pregnant," the prosecutor said. "It's no delusion. It's deceit and manipulation."

Montgomery had undergone a tubal ligation in 1990 after the birth of her fourth child. But soon after, she began falsely reporting a series of pregnancies. In 2004, she claimed to be due in mid-December.

Boman had become suspicious of her latest pregnancy claim and threatened to use it against her as he sought custody of two of the couple's four children. A custody hearing had been set for January 2005.

Montgomery's mother and sister also had been telling Montgomery's husband and his parents that it was impossible for her to carry a child.

As Montgomery's purported Dec. 13, 2004, due date approached, she began conducting searches on the Internet about Stinnett and researching different aspects of child birth. The defense portrayed those efforts as evidence that she believed she was pregnant. The prosecution called them proof of premeditation.

Prosecutors said Montgomery used a rope to choke Stinnett, who was eight months pregnant. But Stinnett was conscious and trying to defend herself as Montgomery used a kitchen knife to cut the baby girl from the womb, prosecutors said.

Montgomery was arrested the day after the killing after spending the morning showing off the infant as her own in her hometown of Melvern, Kan.

Montgomery's attorneys and a spokesman for Stinnett's family declined to comment. Stinnett's baby is living with her family.

"The only good thing that comes from this tragedy is that little Victoria is a healthy baby and is reunited with her family," U.S. Attorney John F. Wood said.

After initially denying the crime, Montgomery told investigators she had taken a knife, rope and umbilical cord clamp with her to Stinnett's home. Montgomery said she had thought she was leaving the home when "something out of character" happened and "then this took place."

Attorneys are to start arguing Wednesday whether Montgomery deserves the death penalty.

[samael2014]

The scary thing is that an American jury found Jeffrey Dahmer to be sane too. I mean the people on these juries are walking the streets among us, if they find people like these to be sane, what are they capable of doing under the pretense of being rationale. Jeepers, Creepers!

[Krazcarl]

M099...I agree in the old days they were used in experiments and IF succesful got a early release if not well it happens. They stopped it though.

[michellem99-2009]

She should not have more court time apealing this/that..Her peer spoke..I use to live in the state of MO..She be dead as soon as the judge read death and that''s the way it shoud be but is not..Yer wonder why the prisoms full..or may be they could use her on medical experments so animals don''t have to..

[Krazcarl]

M99...I agree but to my way of thinking having her live with the heinous crime she committed would be fare worse than death solitary confinement for life a evil sack of manure like that you can''t let out in general population she wouldn''t last a week dought anyone would want that ugly creature for a girlfriend. The truth is in the long run it''s cheaper to house for life than execute after all the lawyers get their cash from repeated appeals hers and the states and judge time not a well known fact. Don''t get me wrong I have no trouble with the death sentence.

[michellem99-2009]

Yer think a mental hospital treat a person in need of help. Nope. Their answer is meds and more meds and abuse..Their health issues forget it. Then they kick their asre on the street after years of nothing..A friend told me what goes on in mental hospital and I have seen it when I visited such..As a vistor the staff took my hat,purse,keys,white cane,etc and I got my things back when I left. Crazy or not,why should she live she killed a person in cold blood and that child was ripped out of the womb..by a womon bent on stealing her as her own ..Yer want to hold her paw and baby her..End the bloody pity party for her.

[cntrygrllst]

She knew what she was doing and deserves the death penalty. She altered this baby''s life as well as the lifes of everyone who knew this young mommy to be and were rejoycing with her on the pending birth of a child she was robbed of ever holding and giving the love of a mother, the love every living thing needs. I have no dought that this baby has been showered with love by everyone around her, but she will NEVER know the love of her Mother. Because this woman took that from her. Why allow her to sit in jail for years to come, she didn''t allow this young woman the chance to sit in a rocking chair and rock her baby. why should she be allowed to see, hear, or love her family
An Eye for an eye.....

[grammawhamma]

AverJane: Do you think that anyone that does a criminal act "thinks" they are going to get caught?

[michellem99-2009]

Why put her is a cage..she have to be housed,fed, medical care and the other prisomers will kill her if she is not put in a cage by herself. People who do this don''t care if they live or die. She aint crazy in the sense to have pulled this bloody act. She crafty/cunning. Sure they will pander to her..She will put on an act,get churchy in the end..the botton line when it is say and done she killed in cold blood and we as a people have to send a message to persons like her..that lady died at her paws and why should her killer live. True it wont bring back the mother to be,,but she should not live at all after she did this barbaric act..She was not crazy to steal a baby not hers and kill the mother..The village sq..

[averjane]

I meant to say "dead mother''s husband".

[averjane]

Don''t these people watch the news about other cases where the person always get caught? I think the only dilusion she was having is thinking she''d get away with it. Her husband showed no emotion because he knows she deserves to go to jail and the only emotion I would expect the dead mother''s response to be is remorse for his own wife and motherless child. Why did the media bother to mention his lack of emotion anyway? If he had, I''m sure it would have been for his thinking of what she has taken from him and his daughter.