Newborn dies, mother found dead in crawl space; woman charged

[Bob Hubbard]

Newborn dies, mother found dead in crawl space; woman charged

• Story Highlights
• Rescue workers called to Korena Roberts' house after report of baby in distress
• Roberts told medics she had just delivered baby
• Doctors unable to save baby; then learned Roberts had not been pregnant
• Authorities later find baby's mother's body in crawl space of Roberts' house

 

[ShelleyK]

Sick sick woman!!!!

 

[stickarts]

wow. unbelievable.

 

[Flea]

Every so often I hear a story like that. It's rare, but apparently there is a regular trickle of cases where someone kills a pregnant woman and steals the baby, sometimes cutting it right out of her.

:barf:

Now, robbing a bank is a crime I can understand. Or maybe harming a lover in a jealous rage (not that I would, I just mean I can wrap my head around that kind of motivation.) But this? I know people who are so desperate for a baby they've had multiple surgeries for fertility, or they've considered the adoption black market. I can't see homicide for it though. Hell, I love dogs but I wouldn't kill someone for their Beagle. Then again, I have no parental leanings myself.

 

[shesulsa]

Sounds like a copycat of a television show finale which aired a month or so ago.

Ick.

 

[Stac3y]

Did you see the photo of the woman? She had *visible* waves of crazy coming off of her. And she already had a couple of kids, btw. She needs some serious help.

 

[Flea]

And she already had a couple of kids, btw.

Hm. I wonder if they should do genetic testing on them to make sure they're really hers? In any case my heart goes out to them, a true captive audience to all this.

 

[MA-Caver]

Did you see the photo of the woman? She had *visible* waves of crazy coming off of her. And she already had a couple of kids, btw. She needs some serious help.

Now I ask you... is THIS the face of CRAZY??

Police released a photo of Korena Roberts, who is charged with murder.

YES!
I've a friend who lives in Portland and is pregnant and you can imagine my immediate distress at reading the headline on this story and my relief (though intense sadness at the deceased mother and her newborn) that it was someone else.

Let us hope that investigators go over this with a fine tooth comb and that this nut case doesn't manage to get out on an insanity plea or anything else that might inhibit justice which is due.
IMO it's another one that needs to be bound for the electric chair or lethal injection.

 

[celtic_crippler]

I issue a challenge:

Make the argument that people like this shouldn't be killed and permanently removed from society.

 

[Flea]

I'm ambivalent about capital punishment and have no stake in your challenge, but ... I think it's worth pointing out that killed and permanently removed from society are two different outcomes. Which is preferable?

 

[celtic_crippler]

I'm ambivalent about capital punishment and have no stake in your challenge, but ... I think it's worth pointing out that killed and permanently removed from society are two different outcomes. Which is preferable?

Okay. You pay to put 'em up and feed 'em then. I'd rather have my tax dollars spent on productive, civilized members of society. For things like education and healthcare for instance.

I'm actually only for capital punishment in cases where there is absolutely no doubt what-so-ever that the person committed the crime. There can be no room for doubt where a life is concerned. If there's not some pretty hard-core evidence, then I'm opposed to it. However, I do think there are cases where society is better served by killing the criminal.

This case seems pretty cut & dry though and she appears to fall into the former moreso than the latter. IMHO

 

[girlbug2]

All evidence points to planning the murder of the mother far in advance. I wonder how long she was held prisoner...how horrible that must have been.

 

[Bruno@MT]

Okay. You pay to put 'em up and feed 'em then. I'd rather have my tax dollars spent on productive, civilized members of society. For things like education and healthcare for instance.

Actually, with all the safeguards and judicial processes in place to avoid abuse and wrongful death sentencing, Death penalties are much more expensive than imprisonment for life.
Btw, in the case of serious criminals, I am all for forced labour. Let them earn their keep.

I'm actually only for capital punishment in cases where there is absolutely no doubt what-so-ever that the person committed the crime. There can be no room for doubt where a life is concerned. If there's not some pretty hard-core evidence, then I'm opposed to it. However, I do think there are cases where society is better served by killing the criminal.

I agree. I am against capital punishment on a general basis.
There have been too many people killed by the state, simply because they were convenient suspects. Do a google search for 'innocence project' if you have doubts. In order for capital punishment to be applied, reasonable doubt and eye witness accounts are not enough imo.

 

[Bruno@MT]

About the 'face of crazy' post...
My wife and I agree that if something triggers your 'weirdness' sensors, the best thing to do is to get away from that person or situation asap.

It's happened a couple of times in the past when I was a student that I was in a situation where someone or something made me really uncomfortable for no apparent reason. I just had the impression that something was really, really wrong, even though everything seemed fine.

Every time I decided to listen to my gut feeling and got away from that situation or did whatever my gut was telling me. I know for certain that on one occasion it saved my life (or at least saved me from being a cripple).

My rationalization is that this is a remnant of our survival mechanism from the time we were hunters / gatherers. There is too much information around us for us to keep track of in a concious way. The survival part of our brain looks at all the little things that get discarded to see if there is anything wrong, and then yells at us if something bad is about to happen. Kinda like how animals in a forest flee before a natural disaster.

I don't know if this is a correct explanation or not, but I do know that if your gut / intuition / whatever tells you that something is -really- wrong, it is best to listen.

 

[Stac3y]

About the 'face of crazy' post...
My wife and I agree that if something triggers your 'weirdness' sensors, the best thing to do is to get away from that person or situation asap.

I don't know if this is a correct explanation or not, but I do know that if your gut / intuition / whatever tells you that something is -really- wrong, it is best to listen.

I wholeheartedly agree. I have always stressed this to my kids. If someone gives you the willies, get away from him/her as quickly as possible. If you are going to be put into contact with that person again, tell a parent or other trusted adult so that we can intervene. Too often parents force their kids to interact positively with people the kids instinctively distrust ("I don't care if you think he's creepy; go give Uncle Lester a hug and a kiss good-bye.") The long term effect of this is to dull those instincts for self-preservation and to teach kids (and the adults they grow into) not to trust our own feelings about situations and people. BAD idea, IMO.

Of course, if the person you shouldn't trust is your parent....I guess you're just messed up from day one.