Meagan Huntsman Arrested After Bodies of Seven Infants Found in Utah Home

[MuffyBee]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/04/14/police-arrest-woman-after-finding-7-dead-babies-in-cardboard-boxes-in-garage/
Utah woman arrested after 7 dead babies found inside home
April 14, 2014

Police arrested a Utah woman Sunday after discovering seven dead babies in her former home.

Investigators believe that Meagan Huntsman, 39, who lived in the Pleasant Grove home until 2011, gave birth to the babies before killing them at various times between 1996 and 2006.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that police were called to the house Saturday by Huntsman's ex-husband, who had discovered the body of a newborn infant who appeared to be at full term. Police obtained a search warrant for the house and discovered the bodies of six more babies packed in boxes in the garage.

Police Capt. Michael Roberts told the paper that investigators are still working on DNA tests, but Huntsman's ex-husband, identified by family and neighbors as Darren West, is believed to be the father of all seven children. The Associated Press reported that West discovered the bodies while cleaning out the garage after recently getting out of prison. Authorities do not believe West was aware of the killings and is not a person of interest at this time.

Roberts said police believe West and Huntsman were together when the babies were born.

"We don't believe he had any knowledge of the situation," Roberts told The Associated Press

Asked how the man could not have known about the situation, Roberts replied, "That's the million-dollar question. Amazing."

Roberts declined to comment on a motive and what Huntsman said during an interview with investigators. He said it wasn't clear if she has an attorney. Huntsman was booked Sunday into the Utah County Jail on six counts of murder. It was not immediately clear why she was charged with six counts of murder and not seven.
 
Huntsman also has three daughters -- one teenager and two young adults -- who lived at the house.

Neighbors in the middle-class neighborhood of mostly older homes 35 miles south of Salt Lake City say they were shocked by the accusations and perplexed that the woman's older children still living in the home didn't know their mother was pregnant or notice anything suspicious.
 
West pleaded guilty in federal court in 2005 to two counts of possessing chemicals intended to be used in manufacturing methamphetamine, court records show. In August 2006, he was sentenced to nine years in prison, but appealed the term three times. He maintained his innocence and said he never had any intention to manufacture meth. It's unclear when he was released.

West's sister Sarah Wright wrote to federal district court in 2006, saying West is a good father to his three daughters. She said he worked at an excavation company for 11 years and is an avid outdoorsman who likes to fish and camp.

"Darren is such an awesome dad," she wrote.

Neighbors told the AP they were shocked and horrified by the accusations of what went on inside the home. None of them even knew Huntsman was pregnant in recent years.
 
Huntsman moved out several years ago, leaving her three daughters to live alone, the Hawkers said. They weren't sure where Huntsman has since been living.
 

[MuffyBee]

http://www.kvue.com/news/national/255156691.html
Police: Utah mom admitted to killing her 6 babies
April 14, 2014

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (AP) — Megan Huntsman was clear about what she did with six of her newborn babies.
Huntsman, 39, told police she either strangled or suffocated them immediately after they were born. She wrapped their bodies in a towel or a shirt, put them in plastic bags and then packed them inside boxes in the garage of her home south of Salt Lake City.
What's not clear is why. A day after her arrest on charges of killing her six babies, investigators and her neighbors puzzled over the grisly discovery, including how she could have concealed a half-dozen pregnancies over a 10-year period.
 
Huntsman, who was arrested Sunday on six counts of murder, was ordered held on $6 million bail — $1 million for each baby. The remains of a seventh baby police found appears to have been stillborn, authorities said.
According to a probable cause statement released by police Monday, Huntsman said she gave birth to at least seven babies between 1996 and 2006 at her former home in Pleasant Grove, a leafy, sleepy town about 35 miles south of Salt Lake City.
All but one of them was born alive, she said.
Her estranged husband, Darren West, made the discovery Saturday morning while cleaning out the garage of the house, which is owned by his parents. He called Huntsman, who admitted to him it was her baby, according to court documents.
West called police, who then found the bodies in the garage.
Investigators believe Huntsman is the mother of them all based on what she has told them but have ordered DNA tests to make sure that's the case. Huntsman's three daughters — one teenager and two young adults — also lived in the house.
It could take weeks to get the results, Utah County Attorney Jeff Buhman said.
Investigators believe West and Huntsman were together when the babies were born, but don't believe he was aware of the killings. Buhman said Huntsman is the principle suspect, but didn't rule out more arrests as the investigation continues.
 

[Nut44x4]

UTAH has the DP

   her, period. End of story.

[MuffyBee]

UTAH has the DP

   her, period. End of story.

She and her defense team will probably go for insanity plea.  JMHO

[Green Eyes]

UTAH has the DP

   her, period. End of story.

Yep !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MuffyBee]

http://www.myfoxdfw.com/story/25299179/woman-accused-in-babies-deaths-appears-in-court
Woman accused in babies' deaths appears in court
April 21, 2014

PROVO, Utah (AP) - Prosecutors have been granted more time to determine what charges to file against a Utah woman accused of killing six of her babies and storing their bodies in her garage.

Megan Huntsman, 39, was in court Monday wearing a baggy prison jumpsuit, her hands and ankles shackled. She mostly stared at the ground as prosecutors asked the judge for two weeks to sort through evidence and ensure they choose the proper charges.

A state judge in Provo granted them a week after Huntsman's newly appointed attorney objected to two weeks.

Huntsman is being held on $6 million bail.

Utah County Attorney Jeff Buhman said outside court that Huntsman remains the only suspect.

Pleasant Grove Police Detective Dan Beckstrom noted authorities are awaiting results from autopsies completed last week by the state medical examiner.

Investigators hope DNA will reveal the sex of the babies and who their parents are, though that could take months.

"There's a lot more work to do on those autopsies, and when we get that information, we'll be ready to file," Beckstrom said.

Utah County Attorney Jeff Buhman said authorities still will have questions, but the extra week will give his office more time to make a careful, calculated decision on charges.

"We want to make sure we don't file erroneously," Buhman said. "The closer we can get to the truth of what happened, the better decisions we can make."
 
Police said Huntsman acknowledged that from 1996 to 2006, she strangled or suffocated six of the babies, put them in plastic bags and packed them inside boxes in the garage of her home south of Salt Lake City. She told police a seventh baby was stillborn.

Investigators believe West is the father of the babies, though they are waiting on DNA results to confirm that, Buhman said. West lived with Huntsman during the decade she says this happened, but he was in federal prison on drug charges from 2006 until January.

Prosecutors said they hope to soon meet again with West, who Buhman said has been cooperative and is not considered a suspect. After an initial interview, West obtained an attorney and has not met with investigators again.

Authorities have said they think they know Huntsman's motive, but they have declined to reveal it publicly.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/Warrant-Drugs-found-where-accused-mom-staying-5449103.php
Warrant: Mom couldn't recall number of dead babies
May 2, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah woman accused of killing six of her newborns and storing them in her garage couldn't recall exactly how many dead infants were in her home on the day she was arrested, according to documents made public Friday.

Megan Huntsman told police on April 12 that that were eight or nine dead babies in her home south of Salt Lake City, the search warrant affidavit says.

Pleasant Grove Police Capt. Mike Roberts told The Associated Press they believe there were only the seven found in the garage, and that Huntsman was confused.

"She couldn't remember the exact the number so she threw a ballpark figure out there," Roberts said. "That was her guess."

Huntsman's comments came after police found Xanax, marijuana, bongs and a diary inside a trailer where she was living with her boyfriend in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley City. Roberts declined to say if that belonged to or was used by Huntsman, citing the open investigation.

He did say, however, that during her interview she appeared "perfectly normal."

Huntsman, 39, has been charged with six counts of first-degree murder. She has not entered a plea.
 
Huntsman later acknowledged that from 1996 to 2006, she strangled or suffocated six of the babies, put them in plastic bags and packed them inside boxes in the garage south of Salt Lake City, separate court document states.

Huntsman said one infant found in the garage was stillborn.

Investigators say they know Huntsman's motive but declined to discuss it publicly.

During a brief court appearance Monday in Provo, the shackled Huntsman mostly kept her eyes focused downward as she was informed of the charges.

Defense attorney Doug Thompson told reporters afterward that he has spoken with Huntsman and she seemed fine, though he declined to provide details on her state of mind.

Investigators believe West is the father of the babies. He lived with Huntsman during the decade the babies were killed and was in federal prison on drug charges from 2006 until January. Prosecutors said he is cooperating with the investigation and is not a suspect.

Authorities are awaiting DNA testing to confirm Huntsman and West are the parents of the babies, and to determine the sex of the children. Their causes of death also remain uncertain.

The FBI has been brought in to help because no labs in Utah can analyze the type of DNA taken from the small corpses, police said.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/DNA-shows-husband-was-father-of-7-dead-babies-5607351.php
APNewsBreak: Police give motive in dead baby case
July 8, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Authorities say a Utah mother's motive for killing six of her newborns was that she was addicted to methamphetamine and other drugs and didn't want to deal with the responsibility.

Pleasant Grove Police Capt. Mike Roberts told The Associated Press on Tuesday that 39-year-old Megan Huntsman was heavily into a meth addiction when she strangled or suffocated the infants from 1996 to 2006.

Roberts said she wasn't worried about the babies' health, but selfishly didn't want to care for them.

Authorities think a seventh baby found in her Pleasant Grover garage was stillborn.

Police had previously declined to discuss a motive in the case.

Huntsman is in jail on $6 million bail, charged with six counts of first-degree murder.
 
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

DNA results confirm that the biological father of the seven dead infants found stored in a Utah garage is the estranged husband of the woman charged with murder in the case, authorities said Tuesday.

The results from the FBI's analysis also shows five of the babies were girls and two were boys, said Pleasant Grove Police Capt. Mike Roberts. All seven were full term, he said.

Megan Huntsman, 39, is charged with six counts of first-degree murder. She told officers that she strangled or suffocated six of the newborns from 1996 to 2006. Huntsman said one infant was stillborn.

Huntsman's estranged husband, Darren West, lived with her during the decade their children were killed before going to federal prison on drug charges from 2006 until January.

West found the first baby April 12 while cleaning out the garage of the home he had shared with Huntsman. He told police he found the baby in a small white box covered with electrician's tape.

The six other bodies were found after police obtained a search warrant for the home. Documents show they were all found wrapped in shirts or towels inside individual boxes in the garage.

Investigators are still trying to pin down how West didn't know about the deaths, but Roberts said he is still not a suspect in the case. They don't plan to bring him in again for questioning.

Huntsman remains the only suspect in the investigation, which remains open, Roberts said. Detectives are waiting to get results back from criminal forensic testing that Roberts declined to elaborate on.

Huntsman is being held in Utah County Jail on $6 million bail. She is due back in court in Provo on July 21. She has not yet entered a plea.

Court records show she is being represented by three public defenders, none of whom immediately returned calls seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.

Previous tests from the Utah state lab found that the babies were likely dead anywhere from two to 10 years or more, Roberts said.
 

[Sister]

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/05/02/mother-dead-babies/8643385/

 

Warrant: Mom couldn't recall number of dead babies


USATODAY 10:22 p.m. EDT May 2, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah woman accused of killing six of her newborns and storing them in her garage couldn't recall exactly how many dead infants were in her home on the day she was arrested, according to documents made public Friday.

Megan Huntsman told police on April 12 that there were eight or nine dead babies in her home south of Salt Lake City, the search warrant affidavit says.

 

they are saying drugs was the motive . . . didn't want the responsibility of children!

[MuffyBee]

http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-megan-huntsman-guilty-murder-20150212-story.html
Utah mother pleads guilty to murdering six of her babies
February 12, 2015

Megan Huntsman, a Utah woman accused of killing six of her newborn babies and storing their bodies in her garage, pleaded guilty to six counts of murder Thursday, the Utah County attorney confirmed.
 
According to court documents, the babies’ bodies had been wrapped in towels or sweaters and packed with plastic wrap in storage boxes, some of which had been sealed shut with electrical tape. The boxes rested against a garage wall. Police have said they think she had the babies in a 10-year period, from 1996 to 2006.

Huntsman, 39, told police she had strangled or suffocated the infants and lost count of how many, court documents said.

She is to be sentenced April 20. Each count carries a sentence of five years to life in prison, Utah County Atty. Jeff Buhman told the Los Angeles Times.

Huntsman has three living daughters. Her husband, Darren West, had been away in federal prison on a methamphetamine-related conviction from 2006 to 2014; he found the first body not long after his release.

[MuffyBee]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/21/us/utah-mom-sentenced-baby-deaths/
Utah mom admits killing 6 babies after giving birth
April 21, 2015

(CNN)A Utah mom who admitted to killing six of her babies soon after giving birth was given a hefty prison sentence Monday.

Megan Huntsman, 40, pleaded guilty in February to six counts of felony murder. She will spend at least 30 years in prison before she is eligible for parole.
 
Huntsman told police she strangled or suffocated at least six babies immediately after she gave birth to them between 1996 and 2006. The seventh, she said, was stillborn.

"Each baby was found wrapped in either a towel or a shirt, placed inside of a plastic bag, and each was contained in a separate cardboard box," a probable cause statement from last year said.

"It's been horrible for our department," Pleasant Grove police detective Dan Beckstrom told CNN affiliate KSL. "Some of the things officers saw in that garage, they can never unsee."

DNA testing showed West to be the father of all seven children. He said he wasn't aware of any of the pregnancies.
 

[Nut44x4]

 

[MuffyBee]

Meagan Huntsman must spend at least 30 years behind bars before she is eligible for parole.  She murdered 6 innocent babies at each of their birth's, over a number of years.  That works out to 5 years per murdered baby.     She got off light, imo.      Meagan Huntsman should be behind bars the rest of her life, as in LWOP.  JMHO