A woman charged with killing a pregnant woman and cutting the baby from her womb had altered ultrasound pictures of developing fetuses and received e-mails threatening to expose her lies about being pregnant, a computer expert testified Thursday.
At the same time her ex-husband was threatening to expose her, Lisa Montgomery was searching the Internet about Caesarean sections, birth certificates and the medical facility where she later claimed to have given birth, testified Mark Johnson, who analyzed Montgomery’s computer.
Prosecutors say Montgomery, 39, was faking a pregnancy for months before she strangled Bobbie Jo Stinnett, 23, at Stinnett’s home on Dec. 16., 2004, then passed off the baby girl as her own.
Montgomery has pleaded not guilty to a charge of kidnapping resulting in death, and her lawyers are pursuing an insanity defense. Prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty if Montgomery is convicted.
Johnson’s computer examination uncovered e-mails in which Montgomery’s ex-husband planned to use her lies about being pregnant to get custody of their children. “I feel very confident about getting the kids, who want to stay with me,” Carl Boman wrote.
A custody hearing was set for Jan. 25, 2005. Boman testified Tuesday that Montgomery called him the day before Stinnett was killed and told him that she would prove him wrong.
Montgomery and Stinnett shared an interest in dog breeding. Earlier witnesses testified that an e-mail address registered at Montgomery’s house was used to inquire about dogs and obtain directions to Stinnett’s home.