Utah Woman Pleads Guilty in Stillborn Case [View All]

[Freddie Stubbs]

Wednesday, April 07, 2004 12:15 p.m. ET

SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - A woman charged with homicide for refusing to have a Cesarean section that doctors said would have saved her stillborn twin pleaded guilty on Wednesday to two child endangerment charges after prosecutors dropped the murder charge.

Melissa Ann Rowland, 28, had been charged with criminal homicide because police said she repeatedly refused to have surgery that would save her twins because she feared being scarred by the operation

"Yes, your honor," Rowland said repeatedly when asked by Judge Dennis Fuchs if she understand the plea agreement.

Rowland, who has a history of mental health problems, delivered twins on Jan. 13. One child, a boy, was stillborn. The other, a girl, survived, but suffered from extreme respiratory distress.

http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Breaking&storyId=847628&tw=wn_wire_story