Kentucky man allegedly caused death of 10-week-old fetus by beating the mother
Police charged a Laurel County man with beating a pregnant woman so badly that he caused the death of the 10-week-old baby she was carrying.
Freddy T. Humfleet was arrested about 2 a.m. Friday on charges of third-degree fetal homicide; third-degree assault; first-degree strangulation; possession of methamphetamine; and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to a news release from Sheriff John Root.
State law says a person is guilty of third-degree fetal homicide if he “wantonly causes the death of an unborn child.”
The release said officers went to a house six miles south of London to investigate a report that a woman had been beaten.
Humfleet allegedly hit the pregnant woman with his fists and with a board, causing bruises and cuts on her face, neck and body, and also allegedly choked her.
As an apparent result of the attack, the woman had a miscarriage, Root’s office said.
The woman, whose name was not released, showed police where the remains of the baby were buried in a small metal container and covered with rocks, with a small commemorative stone placed on top, according to the news release.
Humfleet had crystal meth and a pipe, police said.
Humfleet was being held Friday in the Laurel County Correctional Center in lieu of $250,000 bond.
He has a lengthy arrest record, including earlier charges of assault, wanton endangerment, terroristic threatening and not paying child support.
In 2018, he was charged with attacking his aunt, who had bruises on her face, chest, legs and back, along with marks on her neck consistent with being choked, according to a citation.
And in a case last year, Kentucky State Police charged Humfleet with possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia and with carrying a concealed weapon, after finding brass knuckles in his wallet, according to a citation.
This story was originally published February 26, 2021 at 3:08 PM.
