Overview
- A grand jury in Montgomery County indicted Jon Rueben Demeter on charges of illegal performance of an abortion and injury to a child, and prosecutors announced the indictment Wednesday.
- Authorities allege Demeter secretly crushed an abortion pill, mixed it into a drink he gave the pregnant woman, and she later delivered a stillborn fetus identified by officials as Presley Mae at about 14 weeks.
- Investigators cite a search-warrant affidavit that found crushed pill residue and a glass bowl with white powder, and they say Demeter ordered the medication online and had it shipped to his home.
- Demeter has been held in the county jail since his February arrest and a judge set his bond at $300,000; each first-degree felony carries a possible sentence of five years to life in prison.
- Prosecutors and outside commentators say the case raises novel legal questions about consent, causation and application of Texas law; the Texas Attorney General’s Office is reviewing the alleged online vendor and the case could shape future prosecutions.