Police: Baby cut out of pregnant Ky. woman

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - A woman used a stun gun to subdue an expectant mother before killing her and cutting the baby boy from her body, a police investigator testified Tuesday.

Kentucky State Police Detective Chad Winn, speaking during a preliminary hearing in Warren County District Court, said Kathy Michelle Coy told 21-year old Jamie Stice they were going shopping for baby supplies but took her instead to a wooded area with plans to kill her.

Coy, 33, has been charged with murder and kidnapping of a minor.

Winn testified that after attacking Stice with the stun gun, Coy slit Stice's throat and wrists, then cut the baby out of her abdomen. Winn said Coy eventually led investigators to Stice's body and gave details of the slaying.

"She advised that she stunned her, her throat was slit, her wrists were slit, she was disemboweled," Winn said as members of Stice's family fled the courtroom in tears. "The baby was obviously cut out of her."

Stice's remains were found off a dirt road in southern Kentucky on April 14, less than a day after she was last seen leaving her home with Coy. Coy was arrested after showing up at a Bowling Green hospital with a newborn baby, but no signs of having given birth, Winn said.

Warren County District Judge Sam Potter sent the case to the grand jury. Coy's public defender, Jim Gibson, objected to the preliminary hearing, saying Coy's competency and mental state were uncertain.

"The defense is concerned that there are significant mental health issues," Gibson said.

Warren County Commonwealth's Attorney Chris Cohron said he may seek the death penalty for Coy, but will make that decision after any mental health issues are litigated. Cohron said the case will be presented to a grand jury within two months.

James Reynolds, the baby's father, says the infant is in good condition and that his name is Isaiah. He declined further comment.

Winn was the only witness to testify during the 30-minute hearing. About 50 spectators, some wearing red, white and blue ribbons with the names "Jamie" and "Isaiah" on them, packed into the crowded courtroom.

Coy, who has a hearing impairment, did not appear to look at or acknowledge Stice's family, but did cry before the hearing.

Winn said there is evidence that Coy, who claimed to have had a miscarriage, planned to kill a pregnant woman and steal a baby. Winn said Coy approached her 13-year-old daughter in early April about taking part in such a plot. When the daughter balked, Coy passed it off as a joke, Winn said.

Soon after, Coy approached her 14-year-old son and asked if he would take part in a murder, Winn said. The son refused and Coy didn't bring it up again, the detective testified.

After killing Stice and stealing the baby boy, Coy drove to the home of a friend and said she had given birth to the baby, Winn said. The friend told troopers that Coy was in a car, wearing no pants and sitting on the placenta while holding the baby, who had grass on him, Winn said.

The friend called for an ambulance after helping to clean the baby and taking a picture of the newborn, Winn said. At the hospital, at about 5:50 p.m. local time on April 13, Coy brought in a uterus, ovaries and placenta with umbilical cord still attached, along with the baby, Winn said.

At the hospital, Dr. Sara Mangold examined Coy and determined she didn't give birth to the baby, Winn said.

"She showed no signs whatsoever of having a child," Winn said.

After seeing the internal organs Coy presented to doctors, hospital staff suspected someone had been killed and called police, Winn said.

Coy initially insisted she gave birth to the boy, then told police she bought the baby for $550 from a woman named "Ashley," but provided few details, Winn said.

Police searched Coy's home and computer, finding links to two pregnant women on her Facebook page, Winn said. Investigators found one of the women unharmed, but couldn't find Stice, Winn said. Police would later find a stun gun and two knives believed to be used in the attack, Winn said.

"I then asked Ms. Coy if that baby was Jamie Stice's," Winn said. "She answered 'I don't know.' I was alarmed by this."

Coy eventually led detectives to a wooded area off a dirt road, where Stice's remains were located, Winn said.

"We could have never found the body if Ms. Coy didn't tell us where it was," Winn said.

[MGodzik]

First off I'd like to say that the woman who was murdered and her family were looking forward to the birth of this baby. Second the woman who MURDERED the mother isn't a doctor, nurse, midwife or back street abortionist. She is a woman who searched for and found 2 prospective pregnant woman that would fulfill her desire. She than obtained the items necessary to proceed with her plan, kidnapped the young mother to be and proceeded to kill her, and cut the baby and female reproductive organs out.

Personally,I think she should be given the death penality. But do it with a stun gun then slit her throat, and open up her belly before she looses consciousness. An eye for an eye.

[anniecanauvil]

Ok, why are people debating abortion when this particular story really has nothing to do with abortion? Nowhere in this article is there mention that the victim was looking to get rid of her unborn child. A psychotic woman took her into the woods and murdered her and ripped the child out of her body and proceeded to try to pass it off as her own. In this particular case, that doesn't sound like an abortion. It sounds like 1st degree premeditated murder and kidnapping.

Now if the woman was hit by a car or attacked on her way to an abortion clinic where she was choosing to have an abortion, I could understand why people are arguing about abortion. That would make sense. However, this does not seem to be the case.

[jkhamlin]

That's because you don't get what abortion is. Abortion is murder of a human being. They're pointing out the absurdity that abortionists want it to be legally fine for someone to kill the baby and leave the mother alive, but that it is illegal (rightly so) to kill the mother and leave the baby alive.

[whiteguysrule]

how come when i read storys like this pretty girl doing horrible things, do I not care about the pretty girls that have horrible things done to them.

why does every story have a pretty girl involved? sex sells and your a prevert america.

[Valann54]

This is absolutely horrific. The victim was savagely butchered and murdered. The perpetrator deserves the death penalty. All the other comments about abortion and choice has nothing to do with this topic.

[No_Absolutes]

it has everything to do with this topic because it shows how easily the public can be swayed as long as the topic is neatly presented. rip a baby from the womb while out in the woods with the use of a stun gun and its a horrific act. but do the same in a doctors office and we call it choice. doesn't change the fact that in both circumstances the end product is an innocent baby ripped from the womb.

[atomant59]

Again, your faux concern evaporates into the ether at the moment a child is birthed and needs any form of assistances from food, shelter or medication as evident by the current budget cuts your party is attempting to pass however money to the wealthy is acceptable. It appears your concern only lies with perfect children born into homes with all the FIX-ENs. If a precious gift from god needs food, shelter or medication, forget about it. Just for the record, I am not on public assistance of any kind and have paid for and supported both of my children without any government help. It's also interesting how you Reich-Wing Hypocrites claim you want less intrusive government unless it's telling a woman what to do with her body.

[No_Absolutes]

uh....no. we don't want government to tell women what to with their bodies. we want government to tell women what they can't do to SOMEONE ELSE'S BODY. A baby is its own person, the mother is just a vessel. I do want government to tell women and everyone else that you can't go around killing people. its called crime prevention and public safety and those are tradional government functions.

[atomant59]

and in the case of rape or incest, what is your edict oh holy one?

[thetruthwillout]

I think her punishment should be the same thing she did to that poor pregnant woman. I am shocked at how often this happens. My thoughts and prayers are with the family of the murdered woman.

[Empire--___George--____]

It does happen ALL the time, except the cutting and ripping from the womb is done by a medical professional, they call it a "choice".

[Empire--___George--____]

by 9kats April 21, 2011 5:32 AM EDT

I've always wondered why these "anti-abortionists" don't volunteer to adopt or sponsor these future human beings

Why can't they see that the unborn are being done a favor in the first place.
_____________

Did you just say, killing an unborn baby is "doing them a favor" ? since when is death a "favor" ? I guess in the sick, twisted mind of a liberal, killing you is just doing you a favor.....what the heck is going on with these people

[Empire--___George--____]

Yup, you just repeated it here:


by 9kats April 21, 2011 5:45 AM EDT

The "tadpoles" that are being done the favor of becoming another mouth to feed---another problem to our world---and possibly another serial killer--certainly won't be missed by most of us.

Wow, your lack of respect for human life is shocking to say the least.

[WillowSunstar]

What I don't understand is why these people don't adopt. If they really want a baby so much, there are legal ways of getting a baby without harming anyone.

[rwsmith29456]

How horrible.

[ccdsswrkr08]

Because she obviously could not pass the mental health portion of the adoption process.

[gypsy45]

What I'm wondering, is what does this news story have to do with abortion? I'm sure there's more appropriate sites you all can blast off about your feelings on abortion than here. This event is a really tragic thing, and has nothing to do with abortion.

[Empire--___George--____]

Relax libs, it was only a "choice" being killed here, after all, the baby (ooops, fetus) was probably not "wanted" and therefore was just a inconvenience anyway......after all, being wanted or not, is the criteria to whether unborn babies are aborted or not.

What is the difference between ripping the baby from the womb, and ripping the baby from the womb (during an abortion) ?

[9kats]

I've always wondered why these "anti-abortionists" don't volunteer to adopt or sponsor these future human beings that they insist should be brought into the world under circumstances that would likely be bad ones once they are here. Why can't they see that the unborn are being done a favor in the first place. Especially considering the condition that the world itself is in now. And whether their opinions are possibly right or wrong---they should mind their own business and don't worry about everybody else.

[CuriousServant]

Some do. I adopted 3.

[Empire--___George--____]

Let me guess, you value your 9 cats more than 9 unborn humans ?