Georgia Woman Charged with Attempted Murder After Taking Pills to Induce Abortion
A Woman Charged with Attempted Murder for Seeking an Illegal Abortion
In Savannah, Georgia, a 31-year-old woman named Alexia Moore has been charged with attempted murder after police allege she took pills to induce an illegal abortion. This case could mark one of the first instances in Georgia where a woman faces such charges following the state’s 2019 law that bans most abortions.
The arrest warrant against Moore references the state’s law, stating that medical staff determined she was pregnant beyond six weeks based on the knowledge that the baby had a beating heart and was struggling to breathe. According to court records, Moore arrived at a hospital on December 30 complaining of abdominal pain. She reportedly 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, as noted in the warrant. The police investigator who obtained the warrant wrote 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.”
Georgia’s law prohibits abortion after embryonic cardiac activity can be detected, which typically occurs around six weeks of gestation—before many women even realize they are pregnant. 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.
More Pregnant Women Charged with Crimes Since Roe Was Overturned
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 following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. This marked a significant increase compared to previous years, with most cases involving allegations of substance use during pregnancy.
Moore’s mother has not made any immediate comments when reached by phone, and a spokesperson for the Georgia Public Defender Council confirmed that one of its attorneys is representing Moore but provided no further details.
Court records show that Moore’s attorney has filed legal motions seeking a bond and a speedy trial. A court hearing is scheduled for Monday. Ultimately, the decision to prosecute Moore for attempted murder will rest with District Attorney Keith Higgins of the Brunswick Judicial Circuit, who would need to secure an indictment from a grand jury. Higgins has not responded to messages.
Some Warned Georgia’s Abortion Law Could Lead to Murder Charges
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.
Georgia’s abortion law defines an embryo as a person once cardiac activity is 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 cardiac activity.
Coroner Says He Didn’t Rule Death a Homicide
The warrant notes that a toxicology screening detected oxycodone in the fetus’ blood, but police were informed the test would not detect misoprostol. It also mentions that Moore told police she obtained the abortion pills online and got the opioid from a relative.
Camden County Coroner M. Wayne Peeples stated that he was called to Southeast Georgia Health System’s hospital to take custody of the remains. He said the Georgia Bureau of Investigation declined to perform an autopsy, noting the fetus was delivered in a hospital. The coroner added that he did not rule the death as a homicide, instead determining both the cause and manner of death as undetermined.
Moore also 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.
Use of Misoprostol in Abortion
The drugs 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, though it has not been adopted elsewhere.
