Man Is First Person In New Hampshire To Be Charged With Murder Of Fetus

A New Hampshire man is the first person to be tried under a law that took effect in 2018 that defines a fetus at 20 weeks of development as a person for murder cases.

William Kelly, 28, was arrested in December for the murder of Christine Falzone, 33, who was about 35 weeks pregnant. On Friday (March 15), a grand jury indicted Kelly on two counts of second-degree for recklessly causing the deaths of Falzone and her unborn child.

Officials said the ey found Falzone unconscious in a home she shared with Kelly. It is unknown if he was the father of the unborn child.

Kelly's lawyer, Caroline Smith, said in court on Monday that her client was waiving his arraignment and pleading not guilty. He is b being held without bail.

"Whenever there's a suspicious death, we, along with our law enforcement partners, respond and take appropriate action," said Senior Assistant Attorney General Josh Speicher. "And in this case, that's what we did."