TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Pregnant Woman Slain; Baby Taken

ADVERTISEMENT

The Associated Press

Published: July 20, 2008

PITTSBURGH - Investigators hoped to confirm today the identity of a woman whose body was found bound with duct tape with her uterus cut open in the apartment of another woman who falsely claimed a newborn baby was her own.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office has tentatively identified the victim as Kia Johnson, an investigator at the office who declined to give her name said Saturday night. Officials hoped to confirm the identity today using dental records.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported Saturday that Johnson's family had spoken to police. The paper said she was 18 years old and due to deliver July 30.
Allegheny County police Assistant Superintendent James Morton said investigators also were trying to verify that the dead woman was the mother of a baby brought by Andrea Curry-Demus to West Penn Hospital on Thursday night.

"Circumstances would dictate that it has to be. There can't be too many cases similar to this at the same time," Allegheny County Medical Examiner Karl Williams said.

The body was found Friday after reporters called authorities about a foul odor coming from inside Curry-Demus' Wilkinsburg apartment.

The woman appeared to have been dead for about two days, Williams said. Her hands and feet were bound with duct tape, and her face was covered with a plastic material.

"We found a lot of evidence of a struggle having occurred," Williams said. He said there was evidence of drugs at the scene; investigators will look for drugs in the victim's system.

The woman had been pregnant and her body showed "evidence that there had been a partial evisceration - meaning her abdomen had been opened with a sharp weapon, the uterus had been opened," Williams said.

Curry-Demus was charged with child endangerment and dealing in infant children. She has been jailed in lieu of $10,000 bond and a psychiatric exam. Morton said more charges would be filed after the body is identified.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT