A Kentucky woman has been charged after authorities say she used abortion medication to end a pregnancy and later buried the fetal remains in her backyard.
Kentucky State Police (KSP) arrested 35-year-old Melinda Spencer and charged her with first-degree fetal homicide, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical evidence, according to the Louisville Courier Journal, WLKY, and Fox 56 News.
Spencer was taken into custody on Wednesday, Dec. 31, after checking into a healthcare clinic, where she allegedly told staff that she had used medication to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, police said. Investigators later interviewed Spencer, who allegedly admitted to purchasing abortion medication online and taking it on Dec. 26. She reportedly described the fetus as a “developed male infant,” according to the outlets.
Authorities said Spencer told investigators she terminated the pregnancy because the child did not belong to her boyfriend, WLKY reported.
According to the Courier Journal, Spencer said the abortion occurred on Dec. 27, one day after she took the medication. She allegedly wrapped the fetus in a rag, placed it in a lightbulb box, and buried it in a shallow grave in her backyard.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x0:1001x2):format(webp)/abortionmedication-010325-8845bad2650c492d9080aba537d1e021.jpg)
It remains unclear how far along the pregnancy was at the time. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the gestational age of the fetus, WKYT reported.
Following her arrest, Spencer was booked into the Three Forks Regional Jail in Beattyville, Kentucky, according to Fox 56 News.
Kentucky has enforced a near-total abortion ban since 2022, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Under state law, abortions may only be performed to prevent death or serious injury to the pregnant woman. The law does not prohibit residents from seeking abortions in other states.
Kentucky also bans the distribution of abortion pills under its Abortion-Inducing Drug Certification Program. Distributors, pharmacies, and others must be certified to transport, sell, or dispense such medication, Fox 56 News reported.
Under Kentucky law, a person may be convicted of fetal homicide if prosecutors can prove intent “to cause the death of an unborn child or with the intent necessary to commit an offense.” First-degree fetal homicide is classified as a capital offense.
