Baby Was Cut From Woman's Womb In Slaying

(AP)  A woman accused of killing her pregnant friend is believed to have cut open the 21-year-old's abdomen to take her baby and pass it off as her own, investigators said Monday.

The infant also died, but it could not be determined whether he was alive when he was taken from Heather Snively's womb, the Washington County sheriff's department said in a statement.

A 27-year-old woman, Korena Roberts, has been charged with murder in Snively's death. She appeared in court Monday but did not enter a plea.

A 911 call on Friday brought emergency workers to Roberts' house in the Portland suburb of Beaverton. Workers found blood on the floor and Roberts' boyfriend trying to revive the infant.

Investigators said Roberts claimed the baby was hers. At the emergency room, doctors, who were unable to revive the baby, determined that Roberts had not given birth.

Police said they returned to Roberts' home and found Snively's body in a crawl space. Roberts' boyfriend is cooperating and doesn't face charges, the sheriff's office said.

A medical examiner said Monday that Snively, who was in her last trimester of pregnancy, died of blunt and sharp force injuries.

"At this time, it has not been determined if she died because of head wounds she received or as a result of cutting injuries she received to her abdomen," the sheriff's office said.

A grand jury will hear the case, the prosecutor said, and Roberts might also face charges in the infant's death — if lab tests determine he ever took a breath.

"The issue is was the child alive at all at any point in time," said Washington County District Attorney Bob Herman. "This is certainly unusual for its circumstances and nature."

Investigators said Monday that Roberts, who has two children younger than 10, had been telling friends and relatives for months that she was pregnant, and told many people she would have twins.

Snively had recently moved to Oregon from Maryland because her boyfriend and father of the child had found a better job.

Snively's mother, Heidi Kidd of St. Albans, W.Va., said Snively met Roberts a few weeks ago through Craigslist, the online classified service. Police said Monday they are still trying to confirm that.

Roberts told Snively she was pregnant and wanted baby clothes, Kidd said. They befriended one another and kept talking online.

Kidd told The Associated Press on Sunday that her first grandson was to be named John Steven.

"I'm still in shock; it hasn't hit me," she said. "I mean, that initial phone call; I just couldn't believe it. I just could not believe I was talking about my own child."

Neighbors on Monday said Roberts bought a stroller at a garage sale and set up a crib on the front lawn of her rental home. They said Snively was seen at Roberts' house more than once.

On Monday outside the house, there was a blue plastic play pool, a broken yellow play tractor, offerings of flowers and a handwritten note, saying, "May God be with you."

[barbaram99]

I don't read the bible..newster she did not show any mercy toward this woman she killt yet she will be shown mercy if she is kept in a cell by herself. It is clearly wrong what she did. She has 2 children why steal another that is not hers. They will take her children. She looks mean..She gave no thot to the family that she hurt. I am a firm believer that we need to stop grooming girls for one thing having babies. That lady mrs whoever,,I am sorry but if yer want to us a flavour--clean out yer own yard and learn this America has sep of church and state also America is not and has never been a christian nation. 'member to yer kind messes up. If their peers give them death then it should be carried out. It is not. She has 2 children to raise but now she can't. I am appalled.

[armyoftwelve]

If Scott Roeder had shot this idiot instead of Tiller, he would be a hero instead of a pariah.

Is she making a grimace in this photo or is she trying to stifle a smile?? People like her make it hard to argue against capital punishment....

[naj1953]

How sad... the world is more and more crazy....

[erasmus111]

You may be right. It is our duty as women to keep ourselves attractive so we may marry good Christian men and have babies so we can get to heaven.
Posted by mrs_trepidatious

OK, I get it now. You're just trying to stir up trouble. No one could be that stupid. I'm guessing that you're a man. I can't imagine any woman saying anything as hideous as what is written above.

Posted by sunspro at 1:38 PM : Jun 9, 2009

Hahahahahaha! That is just too funny.

[lyndar2]

While many of you obviously think these comments are to sound off on your own agenda, the real topic here should be to show respect and sorrow to the survivors of this heinous crime. My heart is broken for all who are connected to these families as well as the grieving of the whole nation.

[sunspro]

blame the feminist movement for this. Obviously this woman wanted to have a baby and should have had one by now but due to the feminists movement man hating rhetoric she rejected men.
Posted by mrs_trepidatious at 5:

More evidence that this poster is just trying to cause trouble. And, too dumb to even read the story. The murderer has two children.

[sunspro]

You may be right. It is our duty as women to keep ourselves attractive so we may marry good Christian men and have babies so we can get to heaven.
Posted by mrs_trepidatious

OK, I get it now. You're just trying to stir up trouble. No one could be that stupid. I'm guessing that you're a man. I can't imagine any woman saying anything as hideous as what is written above.

[king-diamond]

What a messed up piece of wotk this woman is....

looks like she has a bit of downs going on.

[diamruby]

Her children should be placed in a good foster home & she should be immediately put to death. She & others like her do not deserve to be alive, we need to remove these inhumans from society & we should not have to support them while they live in prisons or hospitals. The death penalty should mean exactly that & when you do the crime you should be aware that you will pay with your life. There are hundreds of criminals living on death row for years, if its too expensive etc. just put them together in a large gas chamber & turn it on. Lets give them the same treatment they gave their victims.

[credibility2]

This heinous crime began getting media coverage in the early 1990s. Look at the age group of these deranged criminals, usually in the twenties. These criminals are part of an age group that has been allowed and encouraged to do whatever it wanted, without any accountability, responsibility, morality or compassion. An age group of entitlement where parents ignored disciplining in favor of allowing them to find themselves. An age group where no boundaries were put on any of their actions. An age group that was raised to lack empathy and compassion for their victims and selfishly only thought their lives mattered. An age group that was raised to be selfish mongrels. The death penalty would be too decent for this waste of humanity.