Georgia Woman Charged with Murder After Baby’s Death

A 31-year-old woman from Georgia has been arrested and charged with murder, following an incident where she reportedly took abortion pills and oxycodone. This led to her baby being born alive but dying shortly after birth.

Alexia Moore, a resident of Kingsland, was apprehended on March 4 and is currently in the Camden County Jail. Authorities allege that she ingested the medications in late December in an attempt to terminate a pregnancy during her second trimester, as reported by USA Today.

According to an arrest warrant from March 5, Moore was admitted to the emergency room at Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus on December 30, suffering from significant abdominal pain. During her treatment, she disclosed to hospital staff that she had obtained several abortion pills called misoprostol online. Additionally, police suspect she took oxycodone, an opioid given to her by a relative, even though it wasn’t prescribed to her.

The warrant further states that Moore “caused the death of a human being who was born alive and had been alive for one hour.” Under Georgia law, a baby is considered a human once born. Medical officials estimate that the baby was between 22 and 24 weeks old at birth, substantially beyond the 10-week threshold recommended by the Food and Drug Administration for the use of abortion pills. Moore, when questioned, claimed she was unaware of how far along she was.

This case might represent the first instance in which a woman is charged with murder in relation to abortion under Georgia’s heartbeat law, prohibiting abortions after six weeks of pregnancy. Medical staff indicated that the baby was “well over six weeks pregnant” based on their observation of a heartbeat and the baby’s breathing difficulties.

Georgia Life Alliance, a prominent pro-life organization supporting the heartbeat law known as the LIFE Act, contested some media narratives. They emphasized that Georgia law does not criminalize miscarriage or certain pregnancy outcomes, suggesting that this case should not be misunderstood as such.

The organization mentioned that if the murder charge is pursued, it would pertain to Moore’s alleged use of illegally obtained drugs that resulted in her baby being born alive and subsequently passing away.

Elizabeth Edmonds, Executive Director of Georgia Life Alliance, stated, “Mr. Moore has not been charged with a crime under Georgia’s LIFE Act,” noting that the baby’s death is being treated like any other under Georgia law.

Reportedly, local prosecutors are not moving forward with charges against Moore, and her hearing was set for Monday. Her attorney has called for a speedy trial but had no immediate comments for the media. Meanwhile, law enforcement officials have distanced themselves from the situation, and Southeast Georgia Health System declined to comment on the case.