US woman gets up to life in prison in deaths of 6 newborns

[webfact]

Utah woman gets up to life in prison in deaths of 6 newborns
By LINDSAY WHITEHURST

PROVO, Utah (AP) — A Utah woman who pleaded guilty to killing six of her newborn babies and hiding their bodies in her garage was sentenced to up to life in prison Monday in a case that drew national attention and sent shockwaves through her quiet community.

Judge Darold McDade handed down the term for Megan Huntsman, who told police she was too addicted to methamphetamine to care for more children.

Huntsman, 40, pleaded guilty to six counts of murder in February. She said in court papers she wanted to take responsibility in the deaths.

The judge gave her the maximum sentence — at least 30 years and up to life in prison. A parole board will decide her release date later.

The sentence brings closure to a case that shocked residents of Pleasant Grove, the mostly Mormon community where Huntsman stored her babies' tiny bodies for more than a decade. Pleasant Grove is about 45 miles south of Salt Lake City and has a population of 35,000.

Huntsman's estranged husband, Darren West, found the bodies in the garage in April 2014. A seventh baby found there was stillborn.

Authorities say West was the newborns' father. The couple has three other children together.

Police say Huntsman gave birth to the babies over 10 years, from 1996 to 2006, and strangled or suffocated each child immediately after birth.

She wrapped their bodies in cloth, put them in plastic bags and packed them in boxes. She left them behind when she moved out of the house.

West found the bodies shortly after he finished an eight-year federal prison stint on meth charges. He lived with Huntsman during the decade when the babies were killed, but police have said they aren't investigating him in the deaths. West has not spoken publicly about the case.

It remains unclear how Huntsman concealed the pregnancies, births and murders from family members and friends.

She agreed to plead guilty rather than go to trial under an agreement that reduced her minimum possible sentence to five years but left fewer options for appeal.

A parole board will make the final decision on how much time Huntsman spends in prison. Prosecutors say she is likely to spend the rest of her life behind bars.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-04-21

[issanaus]

Recreational/illegal drug use and pregnancy do not go together -period!!!!

A couple of days ago I spent a few hours talking with a young woman who was born a heroin addict, has sever physical and cognitive issues as well as epilepsy as a result of her mother being a user.

Still trying to work out if murdering the child or giving them a life sentence of suffering is worse.

RIP kids - I guess they don't even have the dignity of a name to be buried with

[NeverSure]

"Huntsman, 40, pleaded guilty as charged in February to six counts of first-degree felony murder in her children's deaths. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors had agreed to recommend that the five-years-to-life prison sentences run concurrent to one another.

But at Monday's sentencing hearing, 4th District Judge Darold McDade said concurrent sentencing was "not appropriate" for the crimes. He instead ordered her to serve three of the counts consecutively, while the rest will run concurrently." Link

She got three of the sentences which run consecutively, one after the other. The other sentences run concurrently or all at the same time.

If I read that right she got 15 years to 3x life minimum; three consecutive with the others running at the same time. This is six separate sentences. She'll probably die in prison, which she should.

RIP little ones.

Edited April 21, 2015 by NeverSure

[kerrysum]

And when life becomes more irrelevant? What do you say?

[catweazle]

Wouldn't it be great if we would live in a world where the judge would be allowed to add "little extras", just like her prison cell being equipped with a high quality sound system playing baby cries 24/7 and in between ghostly voices whispering "what have you done?" and "you will go to hell for this!" and children's voices saying "mama, why did you do this to me, mama?" plus a projector showing her the photos of the babies' corpses 24/7, lights on 24/7 - oh, if I were the judge, I would create her very own hell!

Rest in peace, little ones - hopefully you all are in a better place, with loving parents and/or with our creator now.

[hawker9000]

And so many constantly squealing about how drugs should be legalized... Six newborns murdered by their own mother, because "she was too addicted to methamphetamine to care for more children". Unspeakably sad. Incomprehensible really.

[HerbalEd]

Recreational/illegal drug use and pregnancy do not go together -period!!!!

A couple of days ago I spent a few hours talking with a young woman who was born a heroin addict, has sever physical and cognitive issues as well as epilepsy as a result of her mother being a user.

Still trying to work out if murdering the child or giving them a life sentence of suffering is worse.

RIP kids - I guess they don't even have the dignity of a name to be buried with

Regarding "Recreational/illegal drug use and pregnancy do not go together -period!!!!"

Given the situation, that seems like a rather moot point.

Edited April 21, 2015 by HerbalEd

[hawker9000]

And so many constantly squealing about how drugs should be legalized... Six newborns murdered by their own mother, because "she was too addicted to methamphetamine to care for more children". Unspeakably sad. Incomprehensible really.

So, what's your point? That keeping them illegal will prevent things like this happening more?

In a word, yes. Obviously so. Why would anyone want to make something that causes so much human misery ... actually easier to get?!

Edited April 21, 2015 by hawker9000

[a99az]

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Wouldn't it be great if we would live in a world where the judge would be allowed to add "little extras", just like her prison cell being equipped with a high quality sound system playing baby cries 24/7 and in between ghostly voices whispering "what have you done?" and "you will go to hell for this!" and children's voices saying "mama, why did you do this to me, mama?" plus a projector showing her the photos of the babies' corpses 24/7, lights on 24/7 - oh, if I were the judge, I would create her very own hell!

Rest in peace, little ones - hopefully you all are in a better place, with loving parents and/or with our creator now.

This comment is just as sick as she is. Very sad that her other children have lost there mother again. Once to drugs and now locked up. She should be punished I just hope that it's appropriate.

[ggt]

Police say Huntsman gave birth to the babies over 10 years, from 1996 to 2006, and strangled or suffocated each child immediately after birth.

If she had been an abortion doctor...the government would have paid her to carry out this dastardly deed...and no one would have said a word...

[hawker9000]

Police say Huntsman gave birth to the babies over 10 years, from 1996 to 2006, and strangled or suffocated each child immediately after birth.

If she had been an abortion doctor...the government would have paid her to carry out this dastardly deed...and no one would have said a word...

Now THAT'S a sick (not to mention inaccurate) politicization of this woman's heinous crimes. Even beyond the usual rabid shrieking that typically attends the abortion debate.