A Kentucky woman faces serious charges after allegedly using medication to terminate her pregnancy and subsequently burying the fetus in her backyard. The 35-year-old, Melinda Spencer, has been charged with first-degree fetal homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and first-degree promoting contraband. She was taken into custody at the Three Forks Regional Jail on Thursday.

Trooper Zach Haney of the Kentucky State Police reported that Spencer visited the United Clinic in Campton, Kentucky, where she reportedly admitted to undergoing an abortion at her home on Flat Mary Road. This disclosure prompted clinic staff to contact state police on Wednesday around 2:30 p.m., initiating an official investigation.

Kentucky’s abortion laws are among the strictest in the United States, allowing the procedure only when the mother’s life or health is in jeopardy, as noted by the Guttmacher Institute. In light of these stringent regulations, any deviation from the law is met with significant legal consequences.

During the investigation, Spencer allegedly confessed to purchasing medication online to induce an abortion, which led to the death of a developed male fetus. She then reportedly buried the fetus in a shallow grave on her property.

Further details emerged during Spencer’s interview with authorities. According to reports from Lexington-based CBS affiliate WKYT, she allegedly revealed that the fetus was not her boyfriend’s, and she wanted to keep the pregnancy a secret from him. Spencer reportedly started taking the medication on December 26, 2025, and delivered the fetus the following day.

Another alleged admission came out during the interview. According to Lexington-based CBS affiliate WKYT, Spencer “advised the baby was not her boyfriend”s and she did not want him to find out she was pregnant.” She reportedly added that she began taking the medication on Dec. 26, 2025, and “delivered the fetus” the very next day.

Following the interview with Spencer, law enforcement traveled to her home on the 3700 block of Flat Mary Road, and they found the infant “in a shallow grave just as Ms. Spencer had stated.” Inside the grave was a white grocery sack filled with a light bulb box wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper, regional Fox affiliate WDKY reported, and the child’s remains were wrapped in a white rag.

Spencer was arrested, and the case remains under investigation, Haney noted on Thursday.

According to local news outlets such as WKYT, an autopsy was slated to be performed to determine the child’s gestational age — or how long he had been growing inside his mother’s womb.

First-degree fetal homicide is defined per Kentucky law as a capital offense.