JACKSONVILLE, Texas (KETK) – An Athens woman has been charged with the murder of an unborn child following a February incident where she reportedly ran over a pregnant woman.
Keuina Roshell Paul, 25, originally faced aggravated assault charges but was recently arrested in Athens, after charges were upgraded and she was indicted by a Cherokee County grand jury.
Paul’s bond for the murder charge is $100,000 and $20,000 for the aggravated assault charge.
Under Texas law, a murder charge can be filed for the death of an unborn child. Texas is one of 29 states that allow for charges from the moment of conception until birth.
On February 16, Paul reportedly backed into Lynnqusha Menefee, pinning her between two vehicles in the Whataburger parking lot in Jacksonville.
According to the police report, obtained by KETK, the two women had previously known each other and witnesses told investigators Paul disliked Menefee.
This is a summary of the 13-page report, including statements from witnesses and police officers:
Both women were at a party in Jacksonville when Menefee left and went to Whataburger with Paul shortly following suit. At Whataburger, Menefee was gathering money when she says she noticed a car enter the parking lot but did not notice it was Paul until she exited the car. Then, witnesses say Paul backed up her car, pinning Menefee against another vehicle.
Bystanders say Paul exited her car and attempted to apologize to Menefee.
Menefee suffered two broken legs and required surgery on her pelvis. She was also four weeks pregnant and lost her unborn child.
Once arriving on the scene, officers broke apart a large crowd surrounding the victim and suspect. That’s when officers escorted Paul to the back of a squad car where she admitted to drinking.
Officials determined that Paul “was intoxicated by not having the normal use of her mental or physical faculties by reason of the introduction of alcohol, a controlled substance, a drug, a dangerous drug, or a combination of the two or more of those substances and any other substance into the body, and to have been operating a motor vehicle in a public place.”
Paul has a misdemeanor conviction for retail theft back in 2013 in Jacksonville, according to public records. She pleaded guilty and received probation.