SAN ANTONIO

Man gets death for killing woman, fetus


A jury gave the death penalty Wednesday to a man convicted of murdering a teenage girl and their unborn child. Prosecutors and an anti-death-penalty group say this is the first time someone in the state that executes the most people annually has been sentenced to death for killing an unborn child.

Jurors spent about three hours deliberating in the case of Adrian Estrada, 23, a former youth pastor.

Stephanie Sanchez, 17, was three months pregnant on Dec. 12, 2005, when she was found stabbed 13 times in her family's home.

In 2003, legislation amended the definition of the word "individual" in criminal law to include an "unborn child at every stage of gestation."

I wonder if they were able to prove intent towards the fetus, or if they had to rely on transferred intent . . .

I love this statute and how it protects pregnant women. I also worry it will be abused by anti-choice nuts.

The evidence showed the defendant knew that his girlfriend was pregnant and had a discussion with the family over the pregnancy situation. The defendant even stated on DVD that he knew she was pregnant. But instead of walking away, he chose to kill her (she was 3 months pregnant). Transferred intent was never specifically argued to the jury but common sense just dictates death of mom results in death of child.

I read somewhere that the most common cause of death for pregnant women is murder.

My job does not disabuse me of this notion.