Family wants state law changed
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RALEIGH -- Monday night the family of a murdered pregnant woman held a vigil in her honor. Police say Jenna Nielsen was attacked and killed last month while delivering newspapers to a Raleigh convenience store. She was eight months pregnant.
"They need to recognize this as a double murder period," said Nielsen's father, Kevin Blaine. "There shouldn't be any other question here."
Nielsen was murdered last month while delivering newspapers in Raleigh. She was eight months pregnant. Her family held their vigil in the shadow of the state legislative building, hoping lawmakers would get the message.
Friends and family members honored Jenna Nielsen and her unborn child at a candlelight vigil Monday night.
"We're here to get across to everybody that it was a double murder, the law should state such," Blaine said.
But under current state law, anyone who kills a pregnant woman in North Carolina would not face a double murder charge. A suspect would only face on charge of murder.
"It just seems absurd that they can't call Ethen a person," said Tara Brandt, who works with Blaine and helped organize the vigil. "He was a person, he was someone the family was anticipating to meet just a month."
Lawmakers in the state house and senate have introduced bills to change the law, but they've had trouble gaining support. Andrew Brock, a Republican senator representing Rowan and Davie Counties, helped sponsor the bill in the Senate.
"There are some House members now that are saying that this is not about protecting the mother, it's about abortion rights," Brock said, "and it has nothing to do with abortion at all."
Jenna Nielsen's story hit home with the family of Leanna Newsome. They travelled about two hours from the Charlotte area to join the vigil.
"Leanna was hit by a drunk driver on Feb. 6," explained Newsome's cousin, Jennifer Raper. "She and her unborn baby Bianca were both killed."
Nielsen's father hopes the vigil will shine a spotlight on these tragedies, a spotlight that will push lawmakers to take action.
"If we can get this law passed, then something good will have come from my daughter's death," Blaine said. "And that means a lot to me right now."