Utah Woman Gets Up To Life In Prison In Deaths Of Six Newborns


A Utah mother, who killed six of her newborn babies, was sentenced up to life in prison. Megan Huntsman, 40, said that she was too addicted to methamphetamine throughout the decade that the children were born to care for more children during the 10-year period during which they were born. The judge on the case was so horrified by the killings that he hoped the case wouldn’t be assigned to him.

Amazingly, Huntsman apparently managed to hide her half-dozen pregnancies, as well as the dead bodies, from her family and friends. Prosecutors indicated that the killings were cold and deliberate, according to the Associated Press.

“These were very cold, calculated killings. She was a woman who was remarkably, unbelievably, incredibly indifferent and callous.”

Prosecutors stated that she choked and strangled the babies after they were born and hid the bodies in her garage. A seventh body was found of a stillborn baby. She calculatingly concealed the bodies, which she wrapped in cloth, put in plastic bags, and packed into boxes. She thought of moving them, but couldn’t figure out how to do so without getting caught. Even when she smelled the stench over the years, she left the poor innocents in their makeshift graves.

She had moved away from the house. The first body was discovered by one of the couple’s daughters when cleaning out the garage with her father, Darren West, shortly after he completed an eight-year federal prison sentence in April, 2014. West lived in the house during the time the deceased babies were born, but is not being charged with their murders.

Huntsman has three surviving children, and she coldly admitted that she didn’t kill one because people learned of the pregnancy. Despite how much she’s been charged with, family members — including her children — painted a picture of a loving mother of her three remaining children, saying that Huntsman was a shy, quiet person in a bad marriage, and who cooked for and loved her kids and children in general.

In contrast was the monster presented in court who made sure she carefully cleaned up the bathroom or bedroom after each murder. In a letter written by Huntsman that was read in court by defense attorney Anthony Howell, Huntsman said the following, according to ABC News.

“I know I didn’t feel strong enough to be a mother to those tiny babies, and in some small way I wanted to help them avoid the terrible life I would have given them.”

Huntsman agreed to plead guilty rather than go to trial. Judge Darold McDade gave her a longer minimum sentence than the possible minimum of five years under the plea deal, saying “I really thought I’d seen it all until this case came along.” A parole board will make the final decision on the amount of time Huntsman will ultimately serve.

In another case of murder, a bored teen for no apparent reason killed a man who was out jogging, and was found guilty of murder and faces life in prison, according to an article in the Inquisitr.

Is Huntsman evil incarnate, amoral, or ill? How can it be explained that so many people never saw the murderous side of Megan Huntsman? What penalty would you impose? Please comment below.

[Photo by Handout/Getty Images]

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