WOLFE COUNTY, Ky. — A 35-year-old Kentucky woman has been arrested and charged with fetal homicide after telling authorities she terminated her pregnancy at home and buried the remains on her property, state police say.
Kentucky State Police say the investigation began when staff at a medical clinic in Campton were contacted by a woman who disclosed she had taken medication to end her pregnancy at her residence on Flat Mary Road. The clinic alerted troopers, who then interviewed the woman at the facility.
During the interview, the woman — identified by law enforcement as Melinda S. Spencer of Campton — told investigators that she had ordered abortion medication online and used it at her home. Police say the medication resulted in the death of a developed male infant. Spencer allegedly buried the infant in a shallow grave on her property.
Kentucky State Police later located the remains in the grave as described. Spencer was taken into custody and charged with first-degree fetal homicide, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.
Kentucky’s abortion laws are among the strictest in the nation, with a near-total ban in place. The only exception allows a licensed physician to perform an abortion to prevent the death or serious physical injury of the mother, with no exceptions for cases of rape or incest. State authorities say the case remains under active investigation.
Spencer was booked into the local regional jail, and an autopsy is being conducted to determine the gestational age of the fetus. Prosecutors will likely review those findings as the case moves forward.