Trigger warning: This post contains very graphic details and may be alarming for some readers.
An American woman has been sentenced to 100 years in prison after attempting to murder a pregnant woman by cutting the foetus from her womb.
Michelle Wilkins was seven months pregnant when she was brutally attacked by Dynel Lane.
Wilkins was lucky to survive the incident, however, her baby, named Aurora, subsequently died.
The attack came after Lane posted a fake ad on Craigslist, claiming to be pregnant, asked for maternity clothes.
Wilkins went to Lane’s home in response to the ad, but was left nearly dead when she was hit in the head with a lava lamp, stabbing in the neck with broken glass and then stabbed with kitchen knives.
Lane then slit open Wilkins’ abdomen, removed the baby and put it into a bathtub.
Lane’s partner, David Ridley, said he rushed Lane to hospital after coming home to find the foetus in a bathtub. At the time, he did not realise that Wilkins had been left unconscious in their home.
It was only when Wilkins woke up were police called to the home.
For over a year, Lane had been claiming she was pregnant, posting photos of fake ultrasounds online and even having friends throw her a baby shower.
Relatives on Lane said that in 2002, Lane’s 19-month-old son had died after accidentally drowning and since then, she has been suffering immense grief.
During the trial, Wilkins placed a photograph of Aurora next to her on the witness stand.
“It is clear that you need healing and I hope that you get it,” Wilkins told Lane.
Lane was repeatedly asked by the judge to apologise for the attack.
“…People are hungry to hear form you, Miss Lane. Hungry, desperate to hear you express genuine remorse from the bottom of your heart,” the Judge said.
Lane was eventually sentenced to 100 years in jail for the attempted murder of Wilkins and unlawful termination of her pregnancy.
Lane could not be charged with the murder of the feotus as there was no evidence the baby survived outside the womb.
