Mother-to-be Darlene Haynes killed for her fetus

A phenomenon that is becoming all too familiar has claimed another victim, 23-year-old Darlene Haynes.

Haynes was found by her landlord, murdered in her Worcester, Massachusetts apartment after police responded to a “horrifying smell.” Haynes was stashed in a closet and wrapped in bedding, her body so badly decomposed that police had difficulty even confirming her gender. She was approximately eight months pregnant at the time of her death and police are searching frantically for her child, who may have survived the attack.

Although police have not named a suspect, relatives confirmed to media that Haynes was experiencing “harassment” by both her baby’s father and her overly intrusive landlord. Haynes leaves behind three other daughters aged 5, 3 and 1.

Cases of fetal abduction are generally perpetrated by desperate women who have faked a pregnancy and need to produce a child to bear out their deception. In June, 21-year-old Heather Snively was killed in Oregon for her baby. The child did not survive the attack.