Pregnant woman Heather Snively had recently left the Edgewater section of Anne Arundel County, to start a new life on the west coast with her boyfriend. But according to family members, a friend she met on Craigslist took her life and cut her baby out of her womb. This morning we have reaction from Heather's mother.Korena Roberts appeared in court on Monday, facing charges of killing 21-year-old Heather Snively. Snively's family says that she met Roberts on Craigslist, as she looked for clothing for her soon to be born baby. But on Friday Snively's body was found with the baby removed from her womb in Robert's Oregon home. Police were called to the home after reports that Roberts had just given birth and the baby was in trouble. But the baby died and a hospital exam proved that Roberts had not given birth.
Investigators say that Roberts had been telling people for months that she was pregnant. They say that Snively may not have been the only woman pregnant woman she contacted. Heather's mom remembers how the two met.
"The woman told her she was eight months pregnant just like Heather. They befriended each other. Heather trusted anybody," says Heidi Kidd.
Neighbors say that Roberts went as far as to buy a stroller at a garage sale and even put a crib in her front yard. She may soon face charges in the baby's death, once medical examiners figure out exactly how he died.
"Her boyfriend was selling boats and that type of thing and he had gone out to Oregon about three months ago to locate a job and a place to live," said Hall.
Heather’s neighbors on Tacoma Road say they had given her baby clothes as the pregnant 21-year old prepared to give birth for the first time.
"She'd always give me an update,” said Angel Scarberry, who lived two doors down, “like she was due the 29th of this month... how big the baby was."
Police in a suburb of Portland, Oregon became suspicious after a woman named Korena Elaine Roberts called for help reporting her newborn wasn’t breathing.
Doctors couldn’t revive the baby, and alerted authorities when they determined Roberts had not given birth.
Inside Roberts’ home, they discovered the body of Heather Snively inside a crawl space.
At this point, police haven’t determined whether Snively gave birth before she died or if the baby was removed.
"There's so much you don't know,” said Hall, “Was she alive when they took the baby or not? I mean... is it a double murder? A single murder? And what's a just punishment?"
Over the last few months, Heather had worked a Food Lion in Edgewater where the same employees who shared in her excitement over the pregnancy are now sharing in the grief over her death.
The tragedy is compounded with news that Heather had apparently reached out to her suspected killer through the Internet.
"I know that she had found a friend on Craigslist,” said Scarberry, “and that's what that was about and the friend asked her to come over."
Police say Roberts has two children who were not home at the time of the killing.
"She had convinced the neighborhood that she was pregnant,” said Hall, “I guess she needed a baby to back it up."
Heather’s friends say she knew she was having a boy, and she’d already decided to name him “John”.
Police have charged Roberts with her murder and may yet charge her in connection with the infant’s death.
