Suspect Allegedly Lured Her Victim Through Craigslist, Cut Baby From Mother's Womb

Authorities say Heather Megan Snively met her alleged murderer online.

ByABC News
June 8, 2009, 12:25 PM

June 8, 2009 — -- An Oregon woman charged with killing a 21-year-old pregnant woman and then claiming the woman's baby as her own had lured her victim to her home through Craigslist.

Authorities believe that Heather Megan Snively, whose body was found in a crawl space in Korena Elaine Roberts' home on Friday, had been using the online classified service to find baby clothes for her unborn son.

An autopsy released Monday said that the death was caused by "homicidal violence," according to Dr. Christopher Young, a deputy state medical examiner.

Snively suffered blunt and sharp force injuries leading to her death, said Young. It was not immediately clear how which injury caused her death.

In a press release Monday afternoon, Sgt. David Thompson of the Washington County Sheriff's Office said that Snively's unborn son was cut out of her stomach after she was killed.

Polcei said Roberts had also been lying to friends and family in the weeks prior to Snively's death that she was pregnant.

"She had told many people she knew, including her live-in boyfriend, that she was pregnant with twins," said Thompson.

Roberts may have been in contact with other pregnant women in the area, said Thompson, who encouraged anyone who has spoken to Roberts to contact their local police department.

The two women had communicated for just under a week leading up to the gruesome murder, police and the victim's mother said.

"Our source is saying that the two women were communicating to buy or trade baby clothes," said Thompson.

Thompson said that while the Craigslist connection has not yet been "forensically confirmed" that it is likely the way that Snively and Roberts met.

Snively's mother, Heidi Kidd, told the Associated Press that she too believed her daughter met her alleged killer on Craigslist. According to Kidd, Snively and Roberts became online friends and then decided to meet in person.

"I guess they decided to meet and I guess that was the wrong thing to do," Snively told the AP. "But Heather's always been a very trusting person."