Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Baby ripped from young mom’s womb after mom is lured by Facebook baby chat and two other woman vanish in Chicago

Episode Date: May 20, 2019

A Chicago mother and daughter, are both charged with first-degree murder in the slaying of Marlen Ochoa-Lopez, who police say was murdered before her baby was cut out of her body. Two other Chicago women have gone missing under similar circumstances. Are they connected?Nancy's expert panel weighs in:Troy Slaten:  Los Angeles defense lawyer Steven Lampley: Former detective Dr. Bethany Marshall:  Psychoanalyst Dr. Kris Sperry: Retired Chief Medical Examiner for the State of Georgia  Ellen Killoran:  Crimeoneline.com investigative reporter Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. 19-year-old Marlene Ochoa was nine months pregnant when she went missing. Hours later that same day, a 46-year-old woman came running out of her home here, claiming that she had just given birth to a baby boy and he wasn't breathing. The baby was rushed to Christ and he remains there in intensive care. The family has since determined Marlene came to the home on 77th Place to swap items arranged through a Facebook group called Help a Sister Out. the house. The woman who was the only one who was not involved in the incident. The woman who was playing came

to the home on 77th place to swap items arranged through a Facebook group called help a sister out. The older woman claimed to have a stroller and other items. She was giving clothes away, supposedly under the pretenses that her

daughters had been given clothes as they had all these extra boy clothes, and that's where the false pretenses that I believe that hurt to that house. Neigh don't know if they're going to be able to get out of the house. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't

know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't

know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't about taking precautions when making exchanges. Don't go in strangers' houses. Always bring

somebody with you. No, I think it's making people more aware. We're hopeful. We have faith. They're preparing for the worst. A pregnant mom, we believe, strangled dead, her baby cut from her womb after she's lured to a home by a woman she meets on Facebook. I'm Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thank you for being with us. You are hearing our friend at WGN9, Nancy Liu, reporting on the disappearance of Marlyn Ochoa. Take a listen to this. The medical examiner's office tells me they are examining remains recovered from of Marlene Ochoa. The family's family's family examiner's office tells me they are examining remains recovered

from this property yesterday and an autopsy is pending. Relatives of Marlene Ochoa are awaiting positive identification, but they fear it is likely her. The family says Marlene was lured here after using a Facebook group to set up an exchange of baby goods.

Police are still questioning the four people who were taken into custody yesterday from the home on West 77th Place. Neighbors say there was considerable activity overnight with detectives removing massive amounts of evidence and there was an apparent focus on the backyard and possibly the basement. Wow. You are hearing from WGN 9 reporter Nancy Liu. and there was an apparent focus on the backyard and possibly the basement. Wow. You are hearing from WGN 9 reporter Nancy Liu. This gorgeous young mother, strangled dead, we believe. Her baby cut from her womb.

It's almost too much to take in. Joining me, an all-star panel. Troy Slayton, renowned California defense lawyer. Stephen Lampley, detective at StephenLampley.com, Dr. Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst from Hollywood at DrBethanyMarshall.com, Ellen Kaloran, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter and medical examiner, Dr. Chris Sperry. Dr. Sperry, the woman, and may I just point out that she's one of three women we're talking about, but this woman strangled dead and her baby cut from her womb. Have you ever seen anything like it before, Dr. Sperry? Well, yes, I have. I have seen several cases identical to this. They're rare, but not vanishingly rare. And they're always in the setting of another woman who wants a baby. Sometimes she has accomplices, but the pregnant woman is kidnapped or lured in some way and then strangled,

sometimes just to the point of unconsciousness, but sometimes she's strangled dead, and then the baby's cut out of her. One memorable case that I had was just like this, where a woman who was not pregnant but wanted a baby kidnapped a pregnant woman from the obstetric clinic where she had just visited and strangled her with a strap and then cut the baby out with a set of car keys. And the baby was fine.

The baby is now a young woman in her 20s. But the pregnant woman bled to death after having her baby cut out with car keys well in the famous words of oscar wilde be careful what you ask my dear for you will surely get it when i asked you had you ever seen anything like this before i certainly did not expect to hear that about the car keys and the bleeding and the okay ell. Ellen Kalorin, let me get away from Dr. Chris Sperry for just one moment. And although I can't get the image out of my mind that he just described, Ellen Kalorin, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter, where you can find

this and all other breaking crime and justice news. Let's just start at the beginning. I want to talk about Marlon. Nancy, Marlon went missing. She was in her ninth month of pregnancy just before her due date, and her family has been desperately searching. Unfortunately, in the last couple of days, the investigation has turned into a homicide investigation after human remains were found on a property where Marlin is believed to have gone on the day that she went missing. Hold on just a moment. Hold on just a moment. The location where she went the day she went missing. Take a listen to WGN 9 reporter Dana Rebick.

We now know that the vehicle, the car matching the description of this missing Pilsen pregnant teen was found on this very street six days ago. NOW KNOW THAT THE VEHICLE, THE CAR MATCHING THE DESCRIPTION OF THIS MISSING PILSON PREGNANT TEEN WAS FOUND ON THIS VERY STREET SIX DAYS AGO. POLICE ARE NOW QUESTIONING THE WOMAN WHO LIVES IN THIS HOME BEHIND ME. NEIGHBORS TELL US SHE WAS NOT PREGNANT, BUT SHE DID CALL 911 TWO WEEKS AGO TO REPORT THAT SHE HAD JUST HAD A BABY. 4100, 77th Place, please. The caller gave birth 10 minutes ago, 46 YEARS OF AGE. THE BABY ISN'T BREATHING. BABY IS PALE AND BLUE. THEY'RE DOING CPR. AT 6-11 PM ON APRIL 23RD, JUST

THREE HOURS AFTER MISSING PREGNANT 19-YEAR-OLD MARLYN OCHOA WAS LAST SEEN IN PILSON, A WOMAN CALLS 911, CLAIMING SHE JUST GAVE BIRTH. NEIGHBORS SAW HER COME OUTSIDE SCREAMING. SHE JUST SAW ME.

I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER.

I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER. I JUST SAW HER. Marlon Ochoa was last seen in Pilsen, a woman calls 911 claiming she just gave birth. Neighbors saw her come outside screaming. She just said that she came out, oh I had my baby, I had my baby, and then she was just bloody from like waist up. I mean I thought it was strange that she was so old and pregnant. She said the baby was at the hospital because she had it at home, so they took it to the hospital. They had some type of gold found, like where they raised money for the kids. Good gravy. So I'm just thinking about luring a mom to a home claiming you're selling used baby clothing. And that is exactly what Dr. Chris Sperry said happened in previous cases. he had been working. Dr. Bethany Marshall,

we need to shrink because I wanted a family. I did. But I went years and years and years thinking that would never happen. The thought of taking, stealing somebody else's baby, much less kidnapping and hurting a pregnant mom would never even cross my mind. Where do those thoughts come from? Well, Nancy, there is a very specific profile of a woman who does this. Usually she has something called pseudosciesis. Pseudosciesis is when a woman imagines a false pregnancy, even if there's no baby bump. Usually she will become obsessed, preoccupied with the thought of having a baby of her own, so much so that she tells everybody about it. She might even throw her own baby shower. Usually these women are in their late 30s, early 40s, very rare for them to have families or even

a boyfriend. Often there's all kinds of story holes. They talk about being pregnant or having had a boyfriend, and yet there's no boyfriend around. There's no signs of pregnancy. They turn homicidal. They do lure a woman. They often, as Dr. Sperry was talking about, they will actually cut the baby out of the pregnant woman's belly. And then they imagine that society will accept the baby, even though there's so many story holes. And you've used the word evil so many times on this show.

Nancy, this is evil. This is evil in its purest form. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Officials confirming those human remains that were found were those of Marlon Ochoa. Right now, police are conducting a search of the property behind me. Their attention seems focused on a fire pit area in the backyard. Today, a stunning twist in the mysterious disappearance of Marlon Ochoa. Relatives say her newborn baby is in critical condition at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn. The detectives went to see the baby, get the DNA testing, and confirm that that is Marlon's baby. And late today, tragic word.

The medical examiner confirming Ochoa's death through human remains discovered near this home, where yesterday four people were taken away for questioning. One of them, according to neighbors, a woman in her 40s, who on April 23rd, the day Ochoa disappeared, was seen outside holding a baby wrapped in a towel. You're hearing our friend at ABC7 Eyewitness News, Eric Horn. But that's not all. Relatives say Ochoa's car was found near the home last week. And they say social media posts suggest Ochoa and that woman,

who's now being questioned, had met on a Facebook chat group for mothers. Her daughters had been given clothes and they had all these extra boy clothes, and that's where the false pretenses that I believe led her to that house. This woman, who didn't want to be identified, said the woman from the house used to babysit her infant until she began acting strangely. She told me how she was getting really attached to the baby,

how she couldn't wait to be a mom again. She said that she needed money because she was having a new baby. She told me she was due in May. Ochoa's relatives say her baby boy, who's been named Yadel, continues to fight for his life. The medical examiner says Ochoa's death has been ruled a homicide by strangulation. I'm not quite sure how you would even go about taking a baby out of a woman's tummy. And of course, you heard Sperry describing it being done with a set of car keys. Joining me right now, Stephen Lampley, detective. You can find him at StephenLampley.com. Stephen Lampley, you know, when you hear about a body near a fire pit in any attempt to burn a body, that's very hard to do and leaves behind evidence.

Stephen Lampley, what would you be looking for on this scene? I mean, we already know one woman was seen holding a baby in a towel. I believe I would start with her, Lam, please. Well, of course, Nancy. You're going to start with her and talk to her. And then based on, again, based on what I know, it seems like that they would be able to get a search warrant fairly easily, which of course they did. And they found, of course, the body. And you're right, it is very, very, very difficult to burn a human body. Even in a funeral home, the temperature has to be so incredibly hot for an extended period of time in order to do that. It's virtually impossible on layman's level to burn a body beyond recognition where it can't be discovered of who it was by DNA.

Take a listen to our friend at WGN, Nancy Liu. Marlene Ochoa was nine months pregnant when she went missing on April 23rd. Hours later that same day, a 46-year-old woman came running out of her home here claiming that she had just given birth to a baby boy and he wasn't breathing. The baby A 46-YEAR-OLD WOMAN CAME RUNNING OUT OF HER HOME HERE, CLAIMING THAT SHE HAD JUST GIVEN BIRTH TO A BABY BOY AND HE WASN'T BREATHING. THE BABY WAS RUSHED TO CHRIST AND HE REMAINS THERE IN INTENSIVE CARE. THE FAMILY HAS SINCE DETERMINED MARLANE CAME TO THE HOME ON 77TH PLACE TO SWAP ITEMS ARRANGED THROUGH A FACEBOOK GROUP CALLED HELP A SISTER OUT. THE OLDER WOMAN CLAIMED TO HAVE A STROLLER AND OTHER ITEMS. through a Facebook group called Help a Sister Out. The older woman claimed to have a stroller and other items. She was giving clothes away, supposedly under the pretenses that her daughters had been given clothes. They had all these extra boy clothes, and that's where the false pretenses that I believe led her to that house. Neighbors say the people being questioned include the 46-year-old woman,

her boyfriend, her daughter, and a man in his 20s. They were also surprised by an alleged birth since no one knew of a pregnancy. The Facebook group Marlene used is said to be shut down. You know, I'm just trying to take all of this in as it relates back to the missing mom, then discovered dead to Ellen Killoran crimeonline.com investigative reporter what was the cause of death for Marlon? Nancy the cause of death was ligature strangulation. Dr. Sperry what's the difference between ligature and manual strangulation or asphyxiation and how can you tell the difference? Sure. Ligature strangulation is when something like a cord or a strap or a wire or a rope

is placed around the neck and pulled tight so that there is pressure all around the entire circumference of the neck. And this almost always leaves a mark behind that sometimes is so specific you can even tell what was used to strangle the person. A manual strangulation is a strangulation where the hands are used, the fingers and the thumbs, and the hands are grasped on the neck, and there are lots of bruises and scrapes, but there's not a particular pattern. Now, just asphyxia alone means lack of oxygen. So, strangulation is a type of asphyxia, but putting a plastic bag over someone's

head is also a type of asphyxia as well. And generally, we can tell the difference between these types of injuries by the trauma that's left behind on the neck itself and inside the neck tissues. She died of ligature strangulation. Ellen Killoran, what more do we know about her injuries? We know that she is believed to have been lured into a basement where she was likely murdered before the baby was cut from her body and human remains were found in a garbage can on the property. The human remains were in a garbage can? Are you telling me that that would be Marlene, the mom? Her body was in a garbage can? That is what we think now, yes. Had she been burned, EK? We don't have any information at this time that her body was burned,

but we do know that investigators were looking at a fire pit area at the home. You know, I'm trying to figure something out, Dr. Crisperi. According to Ellen Kaloran at Crime Aligned, the mom, Marlynn, was strangled first before the baby was taken out of her stomach. Now, number one, how could a medical examiner determine that sequence of events? And number two, would that explain why the baby was blue? Because if the mom dies and the baby is still in utero, it wouldn't be able to breathe, would it? Well, it wouldn't be able to breathe, would it? Well, it wouldn't, but usually what happens is that, well, say in this case where it appears

a ligature was used, this is common because it implies that the woman, the pregnant woman, Ms. Ochoa, was taken by surprise, that she was lured to a basement and then someone suddenly put a rope or a strap around her neck and begins to strangle her. Now, when that happens, it takes about somewhere between at least three to four minutes before the person will die. But the woman, she would be unconscious within probably about a minute or so. So there's a window of time where once she is unconscious,

as long as the pressure is still continued on her neck, she'll stay unconscious, but she won't be able to resist when the baby is cut from her stomach. So with this narrow window of time, it is definitely possible. It happens to be able to cut the baby out of the woman's stomach before the baby begins to suffer from lack of oxygen. You know, we were taking a look at the disappearance and murder of a beautiful young mom, Marlyn Ochoa, pregnant. Her body is found behind a residence in a trash can. And then amazingly,

a 46-year-old woman comes racing out within a few hours claiming that she has just given birth. Here is WGN9's Dana Rebick. Neighbors say the woman told them the baby had brain damage and was on life support fast forward two weeks and chicago police were on west 77th place confirming they found a car matching marlin achoa's abandoned vehicle so what was she potentially doing here miles from her home a facebook chat between her and the 46 year old woman from this home shows the two women were CHAT BETWEEN HER AND THE 46-YEAR-OLD WOMAN FROM THIS HOME SHOWS THE TWO WOMEN WERE COMMUNICATING ABOUT BABY CLOTHES. THE WOMAN TELLING MARLIN, MY GIRL HAS ALL BRAND NEW BOY CLOTHES HER SON NEVER WORE, ASKING MARLIN TO INBOX HER FOR MORE INFO. NOW NEIGHBORS ARE WAITING FOR ANSWERS, WANTING TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS PREGNANT TEEN. We don't know what's going on. We don't know

what happened to that girl, so we just don't know what's next, so we're just waiting to find out. And to make it very clear, Chicago police have not confirmed any connection between the birth of this baby at this home and the disappearance of Marlena Ochoa. Her due date was May 5th. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Multiple efforts to locate a trio of missing women. Two were pregnant when they vanished. Dozens of friends and family continued their search for 19-year-old Marling Ochoa. Today, she was pregnant when she was last seen leaving the Latino Youth Alternative High School in Little Village on April 23rd.

Her due date is today. Meantime, in Chatham, dozens passed out flyers hoping to get more information on 27-year-old Kiara Coles. She was also pregnant when she disappeared in early October. Her baby was due last month. Coles' sister cried for help. I just don't want my sister gone forever. And I hope that somebody out there or somebody that do know what's going on can help us give her a safe return. Her and my niece or nephew, we didn't get a chance to find out what it was going to be. But we're hoping that when she finally do return, that it is with her and her baby.

Finally, the community is standing by an 11-year-old girl still searching for her mother, Shante Bryla. She vanished on March 18th. Chicago police say if you know anything, you're urged to call them. A trio of missing women, two of them we know pregnant. Right now, the question remains, are the disappearances connected? Pregnant Kiera Coles goes missing, as well as Shanti Brela. To Ellen Killoran, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter, what can you tell me about the disappearance of Kiera Coles? Well, Nancy, just like Marlon, Kiera Coles was pregnant when she went missing in October. She was three months pregnant at the time, but she too has since

passed her due date. Her due date was actually the same day that Marlene went missing. So this is very concerning. There have been no signs of her possible whereabouts. She called in sick to work. She's a postal worker. She called sick to work the day that she disappeared, but she was seen later that day in her postal worker uniform. Her parents and her family has continued to offer an increasingly bigger reward for clues, and there's just nothing there. That's right. Police strongly suspect foul play involved in the disappearance of a pregnant USPS letter carrier. We're talking about a gorgeous young mom, Kiera Coles, a letter carrier last seen as she left her Chicago apartment.

Her cell phone and purse were found nearby in her locked car. Her family confirms she is pregnant. And police are very clear that her case involves some sort of foul play. Listen to Alex Perez at ABC News. More than two weeks after 26-year-old postal worker Kiara Coles vanished without a trace, police now say they suspect she was the victim of foul play. She was last seen here near her home on a neighbor's surveillance video. She didn't go into a place which is right there. So she walked down there, and you can see her in a post office uniform.

Then she crossed the street. Coworkers say Coles, who is three months pregnant, had called in sick that morning. Something don't sit right with me about the whole video. Coles' family found her car parked on the street, cell phone, and purse inside. She won't go this long without talking to me. We talk every day. Not even contacting my mother. We talk every day. She just, she wouldn't have me worrying like this. My daughter's missing. Family and friends

desperate for answers as the mystery deepens. A $25,000 reward is in place to help bring this young mom home. Straight back out to Ellen Kaloran, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter. What can you tell me about her case? It's just not fitting together. Let's start with her location as it relates to Marlene's location. What about that? Nancy, from what we know, they were in a similar location. They were both in the south side of Chicago, I believe.

But we also know that Marlene traveled quite a ways away from her home to go to this other home where she believed she was picking up items for her baby that was soon to be born. We can only assume that investigators are looking at anyone else who may have used the same Facebook group. What do we know about the Facebook group? EK, is it the same one that Marlene was chatting with? Yeah, all we know right now of the three missing women, we only know right now at this time that Marlene had used this Facebook group. It's called Help a Sister Out,

and it is in support of expectant mothers. She met a woman on this Facebook group who said that that woman's daughter had lots of extra baby clothes and supplies, and she was going to swap and or donate some supplies to Marlene. The Facebook group has since been taken down, but we don't know at this time if these people who lured Marlene to their home, if they were trying to lure other women too. We don't know how big this thing is. We know that four people were taken in for questioning. Three of them have now been arrested.

The identities have not been disclosed yet. Out to Troy Slayton, California defense attorney. Okay, you got your work cut out for you. You see this 46-year-old woman walking out with a baby in a towel, surprising everybody by announcing she just gave birth. Nobody knew she was pregnant. Coincidentally, within hours after Mar Marlyn Ochoa goes missing and now is their connection to a another young mom to be who goes missing just a couple of miles away, Kira Cole. It certainly doesn't look good, Nancy.

But at this point, there's no indication that the other missing women are in any way related to Marlyn Ochoa's disappearance or that she was taken by the same people. And certainly a 46-year-old woman walking out with a baby when she hadn't been pregnant doesn't look good. So I'm certainly going to want to dive into... That's your defense? It doesn't look good. I'm going to definitely dive in to a mental illness defense. Somebody that is going to kill a pregnant woman and rip the baby from her womb is not in her right mind. There's going to be a serious psychosis. And if she didn't, wasn't able to appreciate the rightness or wrongfulness of her actions at that moment that she committed that act, if it was even her that did it, there's three other people that are being questioned, then that could provide a defense.

Police go to Kira Cole's apartment to conduct a welfare check after hearing from her family. Kira, nowhere to be seen, but her car was still parked out front. The family stating she's never gone this long without speaking to them. Cops looking throughout the area around in the city of Chicago now stunned at the similarities to the disappearance and death of young mom Marlyn Ochoa. Could the two be connected? And now a third woman goes missing. Stephen Lampley, how would you go about trying to connect these deaths and disappearances?

Well, you look at each case, of course, individually, and there may not be a strong connection right off. There may not be. You've got to find a common denominator, which initially may not show itself right off. And at this point, with three women being kidnapped, two of which were pregnant and then matched a sort of an MO, so to speak, I would be looking at a lot of things. One is, is this a baby selling type of operation? Are they looking for pregnant women to get babies to sell? I don't know. Is it women looking for babies to

quote-unquote adopt and sell? I don't know. But you try to find a common denominator as quick as you can and hope that common denominator will lead you to a suspect. If you have information, 312-747-8274. Repeat, 312-747-8274. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Relatives say her newborn baby is in critical condition at Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn. The detectives went to see the baby, get the DNA testing and confirm that that is Marlon's baby. And late today, tragic word. The medical examiner confirming Ochoa's death through human remains discovered near this home, where yesterday four people were taken away for questioning.

One of them, according to neighbors, a woman in her 40s, who on April 23rd, the day Ochoa disappeared, was seen outside holding a baby wrapped in a towel. You're hearing from our friend Eric Horn at ABC7 Eyewitness News regarding the disappearance and ultimately the death of a young mom. Marlene Ochoa set to give birth, already nine months pregnant, actually expecting to give birth in the next 48 hours. But is her disappearance and death just the tip of the iceberg? Multiple efforts to locate a trio of missing women, two were pregnant when they vanished. Dozens of friends and family continued

their search for 19-year-old Marlene Ochoa. Today, she was pregnant when she was last seen leaving the Latino Youth Alternative High School in Little Village on April 23rd. Her due date is today. Meantime, a chat of dozens passed out flyers hoping to get more information on 27-year-old Kiara Coles. She was also pregnant when she disappeared in early October. Her baby was due last month. Coles' sister cried for help. I just don't want my sister gone forever. And I wish and I hope that somebody out there or somebody that do know what's going on can help us give her a safe return. Her and my niece or nephew, we didn't get a chance to find out what it was going to be.

But we're hoping that when she finally do return, that it is with her and her baby. Finally, the community is standing by an 11 year old girl still searching for her mother Shantae Bryla. She vanished on March 18th. Chicago police say if you know anything you're urged to call them. It's been seven months since Kiana Coles has seen her older sister Kiera. Theyear-old pregnant postal worker left her Southside apartment on October 2nd, near 81st and Vernon, dressed in her work uniform despite calling in sick that day, walked past her car and out of frame in the security video. Our young women are going missing without a trace. Since October, community activist Andrew Holmes has tried to keep focus on the case, today announcing a large increase in reward money,

now more than $46,000 total for information on Cole's whereabouts. You don't want to be in the shoes looking for your baby daughter. And as a man, your baby girl. It's too much pain. Today, friends and co-workers passed out flyers near Cole's home. Family of two other missing Southside women were there asking the community for help. 19-year-old Marlon Ochoa Uriostegui, also pregnant, was last seen Tuesday, April 23rd, leaving Latino Youth High School in Pilsen.

And 43-year-old Shanti Bryla, who's been missing since March 15th, last seen near her home at 85th and Bennett. Her aunt and 11-year-old son are desperate for answers. Every day you think about it, every day and every night, and since Chad is with me now, you know, it's just tough. We're not going to go quiet. We're not going to let this rest. We're not going to allow this to become a cold case. Kiara Cole's due date was April 23rd, each passing day so painful, not knowing what's happened to her. We just hope that somebody could bring her home and want her and her baby. If anybody knows something, can? Please just let us know.

That heart. The Chicago company Sur Finance donated an $18,000 check today for the Kiera Coles Reward Fund. Anyone with any information on these cases should contact Area South Police and can remain anonymous. You are hearing from our friends at WGN-TV. The family is now demanding answers, hoping that this does not turn into a cold case. To Ellen Kaloran, CrimeOnline.com investigative reporter, is there any way yet to connect the cases? I think it's going to be tough because while they're all going missing from the same general area, without finding two of the missing women. You can't

connect them back to Marlyn Ochoa. That's right, Nancy. While there are several coincidences, there is no known link at this time between the three disappearances. But the other two women who went missing, Kiera and Shanti, both of those are extremely suspicious. Authorities have said that Kiera is likely a victim of foul play. She's calling in sick to work, but she's also seen wearing her uniform. Her packed lunch for work is in her car. Was it really her who called in to work? Now, Shanti, her family has said that she just received a tax refund check, and there was a man seen on surveillance camera at an ATM location, and now there's no money in her account.

So that is very suspicious, too, though no one has yet been arrested in her case. But Stephen Lampley, detective, you can find him at StephenLampley.com. As I always say, there is no coincidence in criminal law, especially between two pregnant women in the same area that look very similar physically that go missing. There are very few coincidences. I'm not saying that that doesn't happen. But when you have situations like this that are very similar, they're almost always connected. It just takes a while to make the connection. Guys, we are talking about missing women in the Chicago area, too. We know we're pregnant. To Dr. Chris Sperry, let's look forward.

If bodies, and I don't want them to be bodies, but if bodies of Kira Cold and Shanti Bryla are found, is there a way for a medical examiner to connect the three cases together? Well, there certainly would be a way to connect the cases if, indeed, the other missing women have similar injuries to Ms. Ochoa. In other words, if there's evidence that babies were cut from their wombs, you know, incisions, cuts on the abdomen, and also if the women were strangled. Because talking about the modus operandi, it is possible that these other women that were missing may have been used as practice, if you will, to try to perfect the ability to kill a woman and take her baby so if there is if there are identical or similar injuries that is

going to be incredibly suspicious for tying all of these cases together guys three women go missing in the Chicago area. To Dr. Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst joining us out of LA, you can find her at drbethanymarshall.com. Bethany, the thinking behind the murder or the kidnap of a pregnant mom, it's just something I can't really get my head around. What you have to keep in mind is the word obsessional. I once treated a woman with pseudocyesis, meaning a fake pregnancy. Her belly was actually getting bigger during the treatment. She was so obsessed with the fact that she was going to have a baby that that's all she could talk about.

She talked to her mom, her siblings, everybody in her life. So unlike a bank robber who might plan to rob a bank and never tell anybody or a pedophile who might hide it from his family or any other sort of crime, the woman who's going to commit a crime like this is going to try to co-opt everybody around them. They're energetic. They're obsessed. They throw baby showers and say they're going to have a baby even though there is no baby on the way, even though they have no boyfriend or husband. So if I were a detective on this case, I would start to look at who in the community has become preoccupied with baby stores. Who's going in and out of, I don't know, Toys R Us. Who's online

trying to share clothing back and forth with women? You know, just like pedophiles hang out at a school. These types of women hang out on these Facebook groups trying to trade clothing and strollers with other people. So I wouldn't think it's so difficult to find the perpetrator if you keep inside, you keep in your mind the word obsessed, obsessed with motherhood, but it's obsessed in a very pathological way. If you have any information on these three women, Marlene Ochoa, Kiera Coles, or Shanti Bryla, please call 312-747-8274. Listen to Eric Horng at ABC 7 Eyewitness News. We learned today that pregnant teen had been to

the home of the suspects before and likely had no reason to suspect that going there again for another meeting would have deadly consequences. Words really cannot express how disgusting and thoroughly disturbing these allegations are and I'd like to offer my sincere condolences and prayers to Marlon's family. First degree murder charges have been filed against Clarissa Figueroa and her daughter Desiree Figueroa, as well as Clarissa's boyfriend Peter Bobak, who's been charged with concealment of a homicide. Police say mother and daughter strangled Ochoa Lopez to death with a coaxial cable and then removed her baby from her womb before concealing Ochoa Lopez to death with a coaxial cable and then removed her baby from her womb before concealing Ochoa Lopez's body in a garbage container. Police say Figueroa's

daughter confessed to the crime and a search of the home revealed evidence. They're, you know, sifting through everything in the house and they're finding remnants of burned clothes. They're finding some blood indication on the living room carpet, some blood indication on the hallway, some blood indication on the bathroom floor. Police could not provide an exact motive other than to say it appeared that they had planned to raise the infant as their own. They said Clarissa Figueroa, a couple of years ago, had lost an adult son and that that death had significantly impacted her. Nancy Grace, Crime Story, signing off. Goodbye, friend. You're listening to an iHeart Podcast.