News & Politics - New mom attacked, baby stolen

Lain · 09-16-2006, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Police: New mom has throat slashed, baby stolen
POSTED: 3:48 p.m. EDT, September 16, 2006
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LONEDELL, Missouri (AP) -- State and federal investigators kept up the search Saturday for a woman who walked into a rural home, told a young mother "I'm here to take your child," then slashed the mother's throat and left with her 1-week-old baby.

Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke said authorities had some good leads in their search for the attacker and the baby, Abby Woods, but "nothing has headed us in a certain direction."

The child's mother said she did not know her attacker, police said. Stephanie Ochsenbine, 21, was in stable condition Saturday following surgery.

The FBI, Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Missouri National Guard were helping with the investigation, Toelke said.

The sheriff asked the public to report any woman who had talked about wanting a child or acted pregnant recently.

"The description is not locked in concrete," Toelke said. "It could be someone who had a child die recently or could not have children and has told people they were pregnant and needed to steal a child so their lie would not be found out."

Franklin County Maj. Mike Copeland noted that a sign celebrating Abby's birth was displayed in the front yard and was plainly visible from a highway.

The attacker had gained entry to the family's home Friday afternoon by asking to use Ochsenbine's telephone. Ochsenbine's boyfriend and Abby's father, James Woods, was at work at the time, police said.

The women fought after the intruder told Ochsenbine "I'm here to take your child," and Ochsenbine was stabbed several times and her throat was slashed.

Ochsenbine's 1-year-old son, Connor, also was in the house but was unharmed.

Ochsenbine passed out, and police aren't sure how long she was unconscious.

When she regained consciousness, she picked up Connor and went for help, trying two houses where no one was home before arriving at neighbor Pat Bearden's home.

"She was standing there with blood all over her and said, 'Somebody stole my baby,' "said Pat Bearden, 69.

"I'm just praying they find the abductor and get the baby back," Bearden said. "We're afraid to let our little granddaughter ride her bike now."

Ochsenbine made "quite extraordinary" efforts to get help, Toelke said.

"Considering she just had a child and considering her wounds, I'd say she's a pretty determined woman," Toelke said.

While no one has been ruled out as being involved, Ochsenbine and Woods are not considered prime suspects, Toelke said. "We're not focusing on them," he said.

Residents of Lonedell, a small town about 45 miles southwest of St. Louis, Missouri, were shaken by the attack.

"Everyone around here is holding their child a little bit tighter ...," resident Miste Morton

Link: Police: New mom has throat slashed, baby stolen

What is up with all these women who want to steal babies from hospitals or fake their own pregnancies and such...?

Thank goodness the mother survived the attack.

-Kelly- · 09-16-2006, 09:57 PM

OMG

I hope she gets the baby back

**Rainstorm Jenny** · 09-18-2006, 11:52 PM

I hope she gets her baby back too, that is too sad.

SoLongSelf · 09-19-2006, 08:49 PM

Baby has been found, alive and well! All I have to say is thank goodness! There's one answered prayer!

Quote:

Baby Kidnapped After Woman Slashed Missouri Mom's Throat Found Alive and Well
Tuesday, September 19, 2006

UNION, Mo. — An newborn abducted after her mother was slashed was found alive Tuesday in excellent condition, and a woman who had recently miscarried was arrested, officials said.

Dr. Peter McCarthy, an emergency room physician at St. John's Hospital in Washington, Mo., said 11-day-old Abigale Lynn Woods has been reunited with her mother, father and other relatives. She was expected to be released from the hospital later Tuesday.

"The family is elated and thankful to everyone in the community who prayed for them," McCarthy said. "The baby was hydrated, nourished and in good condition when she arrived at the hospital."

FBI agent Roland Corvington identified the suspect as Shannon Beck, who lives a few miles from the home of the mother and baby.

The case broke when Beck's sister-in-law, Dorothy Torrez, contacted authorities.

"She's the hero," Franklin County Sheriff Gary Toelke said. "She's the one that made it happen."

On Sunday, Beck contacted Torrez to say she had given birth, Corvington said. Beck had been pregnant but apparently miscarried shortly before her own child was to be born.

Torrez visited Beck on Monday and urged her to take the child to a doctor, the FBI agent said. Beck agreed, and Torrez accompanied her to St. Louis on Tuesday, about 45 miles away.

Torrez noticed what appeared to be makeup on the baby's forehead, Corvington said. When she rubbed the forehead, makeup came off what was covering a small birthmark.

In publicizing the abduction, police had described Abby's strawberry-red birthmark. Her suspicions aroused, Torrez confronted Beck, who gave her the baby, Corvington said.

Torrez contacted police, and the baby was handed over to authorities around 5 p.m. Tuesday.

"An outstanding ending, obviously," Toelke said.

Toelke said the county prosecutor would address criminal charges on Wednesday. It wasn't immediately clear where Shannon Beck was or whether she had a lawyer.

The family has declined to speak with the media.

The child's mother, 21-year-old Stephenie Ochsenbine, told police Friday a woman entered her rural home, attacked her with a knife and stole the baby, who was a week old at the time.

Police had received more than 500 leads in the investigation. On Tuesday, they gave the baby's father, James Woods, a polygraph test, which he passed.

The abductor had been profiled as someone who had a child die recently or as someone who could not have children, told people she was pregnant and needed to steal a child so her lie would not be found out.

Courtesy of FoxNews.

-Kelly- · 09-19-2006, 10:32 PM

Thank goodness

that's wonderful news

**Rainstorm Jenny** · 09-20-2006, 06:42 PM

I just watched it on the news, such great news indeed.

Lexis · 09-21-2006, 06:49 AM

That's great news. The family must be just thrilled.

Shera · 09-21-2006, 09:04 AM

Wow, what a relief that the baby was found. Those poor parents must have lost their minds when she was kidnapped.


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