MA Woman Who Killed Neighbor, Cut Out Her Unborn Baby Wants New Trial

WORCESTER, MA — Julie Corey, who was found guilty of murdering her former neighbor and cutting the woman's unborn baby from her stomach, has filed a motion for a new trial in Worcester Superior Court.

On Wednesday, Corey's attorney said her client should receive a new trial including expert testimony that would show Corey was suffering from postpartum depression when she killed 23-year-old Darlene Haynes in 2009, MassLive.com reported. Corey's attorney argued the condition would have rendered her incapable of understanding the consequences of her actions.

In the motion, Corey's attorney argued that previous defense counsel failed to provide expert testimony from a psychiatrist, MassLive.com reported.

In 2014, Corey was sentenced to life in prison after she was found guilty of first-degree murder.

Haynes, who was eight months pregnant, was found dead in her apartment. She had been beaten and strangled with an electrical cord, prosecutors said. Her abdomen was cut open, and the baby was gone, USA Today reported.

Corey killed Haynes three months after Corey's own miscarriage. After cutting the baby from Haynes' womb, Corey tried to pass the child off as her daughter.

The commonwealth has asked a Worcester Superior Court judge to deny the request, arguing that Corey denied a mental health defense during the initial trial.