Provo, A woman was charged with six counts of first-degree
murder in the killing of her six babies over a decade, but she cannot face the
death penalty if convicted, prosecutors said.
Defendant Megan Huntsman, 39, is accused of
killing the babies between 1996 and 2006, before Utah law was changed in 2007
to make murder a capital offense if a victim was younger than 14, Utah County
Attorney Jeff Buhman yesterday said outside court after a hearing in the
case. Until the law was passed, killing a child was not considered one of
the aggravating factors that can make someone eligible for the death penalty,
he said. Such factors also include the victim being a police officer, the
killing occurring while another crime, such as rape, was committed, or if the defendant
has already been convicted of another murder. Killing more than one person also
is considered a capital offense but only if they die in the same
incident.
Authorities say Huntsman was the mother of the
babies and they were awaiting DNA testing to confirm that along with the sex of
the children. Their causes of death also remain uncertain. No labs in Utah
can analyze the type of DNA that has been taken from the small corpses, so the
FBI has been brought in to help, police said.
The bodies of the infants were found on April 12
in boxes in Huntsman's garage in Pleasant Grove. A seventh infant found in the
garage is believed to have been stillborn. During her brief court
appearance, Huntsman mostly kept her eyes focused on the ground as she was informed
of the charges. Her wrists were shackled to her waist, and she was wearing
baggy, orange jail pants and a green shirt.
Defense attorney Doug Thompson told reporters after court
that he has spoken with Huntsman but did not want to provide details on her
state of mind. "She seems fine but I don't really want to get into
any of that," he said. Prosecutors filed six first-degree murder charges
against Huntsman. Each carries a possible sentence of five years to life. She
has not yet entered a plea. Buhman said amedical examiner has completed
autopsies on the babies. "We basically have an initial report so we
have some information but not a lot yet," Buhman said, declining to
provide further information.
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