MONTICELLO -- A Drew County nurse has been charged with one count of performing an unlicensed abortion and one count of providing an unlawful abortion after authorities say she administered a drug to another woman to terminate her pregnancy.
Karen M. Collins, 32, is not licensed to perform abortions, Drew County Prosecuting Attorney Thomas Deen said. Collins was issued a court summons in lieu of an arrest warrant and is scheduled to appear in court on June 29.
Deen said Collins helped Anne Bynum, 37, of Drew County induce the abortion of her fetus on April 1. Bynum has been charged with one count of concealing a birth and one count of abuse of a corpse. She is free on a $20,000 bond.
Authorities said Bynum was 33 weeks pregnant when she took medication to induce birth. She gave birth to the baby at about 3 a.m. April 1 at her parents' home but didn't seek medical attention or alert anyone, according to the sheriff's office.
"Instead, she placed the child in the plastic bag and stored the baby in her car," according to a news release from the Drew County sheriff's office. "Bynum then went back inside and went back to bed, and several hours later she reported to Drew Memorial Hospital."
State Desk on 06/05/2015