Autopsy reveals baby cut from womb

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TIGARD, Ore., June 9 (UPI) -- An autopsy revealed that an Oregon woman who died last week was cut open so her baby could be removed from her womb, officials said.

Authorities also said Heather Snively's accused killer, Korena Elaine Roberts, who was arraigned Monday, told her boyfriend and her family members she was pregnant, even though she wasn't, The Portland Oregonian reported Tuesday.

"We don't know what her motivation was yet," Washington County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Dave Thompson said. "Until we finish our investigation, we won't be able to draw any conclusions we can say we're pretty confident of."

Roberts, 27, of Tigard, Ore., was arrested after police found Snively's body in the crawl space of Roberts' home and a dying baby elsewhere in the house, authorities said.

Roberts did not speak during her court appearance, the newspaper reported. Her court-appointed attorney did not enter a plea on her behalf.

She is charged with the death of Snively, not her baby because the unborn child must have taken a breath to meet the legal standard of being alive, Washington County prosecutor Bob Hermann said.

"The issue is, was the child alive at all, at any point in time?" he said. "That's the legal issue we've got to try and resolve."

Authorities said an autopsy indicated Snively had "head wounds" and "cutting injuries" to her abdomen, although the cause of death has not be determined. More tests and laboratory work are necessary before officials know whether the baby was alive or dead when removed from the womb, the newspaper said.