February 1, 2012 in Region

Pregnancy, murder a ruse, woman says

 
Associated Press photo

Angelica Swartout shows the jury her stomach during testimony Tuesday morning in Eugene, Ore.
(Full-size photo)

EUGENE, Ore. – A 24-year-old Oregon woman accused of murdering her newborn has testified she faked the pregnancy and falsely confessed to killing a baby boy because she wasn’t thinking clearly.

Angelica Swartout, of Springfield, gave a videotaped confession in which she tearfully confessed to delivering and smothering a baby in a workplace employee restroom on Oct. 18, 2010. She told police she threw the child in the garbage, sparking a search of a landfill. No body was ever found.

Swartout’s defense lawyer says she faked a pregnancy in order to keep receiving positive attention from her family. She told Circuit Court jurors Tuesday she pushed out her belly to simulate advancing pregnancy.

Referring to the confession, she testified that her mind “wasn’t processing what was going on” then. She added she didn’t realize that she was setting herself up for a murder charge.

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One comment on this story so far. Add yours!

  • stitch on February 01 at 6:16 a.m.

    You were smart enough to fake a pregnancy for 9 months in an attempt to get adoring attention.. Now you would have us believe your dumb enough to not realize you were setting yourself up for murder..

    C-mon Angelica

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