::VIDEO: Vigil Held To Change Murder Law
By R.Gregg, Raleigh Chronicle Editor In Chief Wednesday, July 11, 2007
RALEIGH - On Monday night, the family of 22 year old pregnant mother Jenna Nielsen held a candlelight vigil outside of the NC Legislature Building not only to bring attention to her murder but also to call on legislators to change the law.
The family of Jenna Nielsen, including her husband, father, brother, and others, asked for legislators to allow an additional charge to be levied when an unborn child is a victim in a murder case.
Organizers of the event asked what would happen if the mother survived an attack but the child did not?
Currently, the most the law allows in NC is a charge of aggravated assault against a murder suspect who kills an unborn child. At the event, it was stated that 36 other states have laws that allow for a murder charge in a homicide case where criminal intent kills an unborn child.
Two new bills have been introduced in the NC Legislature -- one in the state senate and the other in the house -- that would change that law and add a murder charge in such a case.
Please watch the video for more details:
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