Coroner: No crime in fetus found in freezer case

By Ken Ritter, Associated Press

Published Friday, Sept. 19, 2014 | 1:32 p.m.

Updated Friday, Sept. 19, 2014 | 2:39 p.m.

No crime was committed by a woman who told authorities she kept the remains of her miscarried pregnancy in a jar in the freezer for nearly a year, the coroner in Las Vegas said Friday.

Medical examiners determined the human tissue found by police Wednesday while questioning Carlena Walker about a shooting in her apartment complex was from the first few weeks of pregnancy and was not a viable fetus, Clark County Coroner Mike Murphy said.

"There is no evidence of a crime," Murphy said. "The material is from the early stages of the first trimester and appears to be evidence of a miscarry."

A trimester is 12 weeks. Nevada state law classifies a stillbirth as a birth after at least 20 weeks of gestation in which the child shows no evidence of life.

Walker, 25, told police she miscarried at eight weeks.

She and her friend Preston Caudle were arrested on suspicion of child abuse after police were met with a cloud of marijuana while conducting a "knock and ask" canvass of neighbors regarding Monday's shooting, authorities said.

Officers said a young boy also was in the apartment.

After obtaining a warrant, police said they found a stolen handgun, drug paraphernalia and about a half-pound of marijuana hidden in and under a child's bassinet in the home.

Police identified Caudle, 24, as a convicted felon from Arizona and also arrested him on drug and weapon charges.

Caudle and Walker remained jailed Friday pending initial court appearances. It wasn't immediately clear if they were represented by attorneys.