Georgia Woman Faces Murder Charges After Allegedly Taking Pills to Induce Abortion

Georgia Woman Charged with Attempted Murder for Illegal Abortion

A 31-year-old woman from Georgia has been charged with attempted murder after police allege she took pills to induce an illegal abortion. The case has sparked significant attention, as it could be one of the first instances of a woman being charged for terminating a pregnancy in Georgia since the state passed a 2019 law banning most abortions.

According to the arrest warrant, police determined that Alexia Moore was pregnant beyond six weeks based on medical staff’s knowledge that the baby had a beating heart and was struggling to breathe. This aligns with Georgia’s strict abortion laws, which prohibit procedures once embryonic cardiac activity is detected—typically around six weeks of gestation, before many women even know they are pregnant.

Moore was taken to a hospital on December 30, where she complained of abdominal pain. She told medical workers that she had taken misoprostol, a drug used in medication abortions, and the opioid painkiller oxycodone. The fetus survived for about an hour after being delivered at the hospital, according to the warrant. A police investigator noted that Moore told nursing staff: “I know my infant is suffering, because I am the one who did the abortion. I want her to die.”

Moore has been jailed in coastal Camden County since March 4 on charges of attempted murder and illegal drug possession, according to online jail records. Her case highlights a growing trend of pregnant women being charged with crimes following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022.

Rise in Pregnancy-Related Charges Post-Roe Overturning

A 2024 study by the advocacy group Pregnancy Justice found that at least 210 women across the U.S. were charged with crimes related to their pregnancies in the 12 months after the Supreme Court’s decision. This number surpasses any other 12-month period recorded by the group. Most cases involved allegations of substance use during pregnancy.

Moore’s mother has not commented publicly, and a spokesperson for the Georgia Public Defender Council confirmed that one of its attorneys is representing Moore but provided no further details. Moore’s attorney has filed legal motions seeking a bond and a speedy trial, with a court hearing scheduled for Monday.

The final decision on whether to prosecute Moore for attempted murder will rest with District Attorney Keith Higgins of the Brunswick Judicial Circuit. He would need to secure an indictment from a grand jury before proceeding. Higgins has not responded to messages from reporters.

Legal Implications of Georgia’s Abortion Law

Georgia’s abortion law defines an embryo as a person once cardiac activity can be detected. Andrew Fleischman, a Georgia defense attorney not involved in Moore’s case, explained that this means authorities could seek murder charges against a woman who intentionally terminates her pregnancy after there is detectable cardiac activity.

The warrant states that medical records estimated Moore had been pregnant for 22 to 24 weeks, placing her fetus at the threshold of viability. It refers to Moore’s fetus as “a human being who was born alive and survived for one hour.” Under Georgia law, the victim became a person at the moment of live birth.

However, the Camden County Coroner, M. Wayne Peeples, stated that he did not rule the death a homicide. Instead, he found both the cause and manner of death to be undetermined. The warrant also notes that toxicology screening detected oxycodone in the fetus’ blood, but the test would not be able to detect misoprostol.

Drug Possession Charges

In addition to the attempted murder charge, Moore faces charges for possessing oxycodone, a controlled drug not prescribed to her, as well as possession of a dangerous drug for the abortion-inducing misoprostol.

Misoprostol and mifepristone together are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for terminating pregnancies during the first 10 weeks of gestation. Misoprostol can also be used alone if mifepristone is unavailable. It is also used off-label for abortion in the second trimester.

In 2024, Louisiana classified mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled dangerous substances. Similar legislation has been introduced in other states and in Congress, but has not been adopted elsewhere.