In the comments about the Amber Alert a week ago, and the subsequent news of the death of a woman named Faye Bennett (not the mom of the kidnapped toddler), a friend of Ms. Bennett’s wrote us.

I’d written in the update, “In the joy of finding this little girl, please let's pray for Faye Bennett. She was pregnant with a baby boy, expecting to give birth this November."

Faye was 8 months pregnant.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Faye, her baby, and the loved ones (like yourself) she left behind.

This should be brought up again, as it highlights a little-known piece of news that is worth re-emphasizing.

I find it appalling that that subsequent news story I read waited until the last sentence to mention that Faye was carrying a baby.

I really wondered why that was. My skeptical self has concluded that the Connecticut press probably is essentially ignoring Faye's death because they don't want attention brought to the fact that there were really two deaths when Faye died.

The press probably doesn't want the public to remember that in this state of Connecticut, there is a new act (law), Public Act No. 03-21, nicknamed "Jenny's Law," that has made it a class A felony to make an "assault on a pregnant woman resulting in termination of pregnancy."

That guy who killed Faye Bennett, whenever he's caught, will be charged with two murders, not just one.

“Jenny McMechen was 24 years old and 36 weeks pregnant [apx. 9 months] when she was shot and killed outside the Plainfield home of an acquaintance on New Year's Eve 2001. Her unborn son died in the womb. McMechen's boyfriend, Michael Latour, was charged with murder and criminal possession of a firearm... ” (from a State Senator Donald E. Williams press release no longer available except by google cache)

Jenny also left behind a now-eight-year-old son.

According to Susan B. Anthony List’s site (it should read Brooklyn, Connecticut, not New York), “[Connecticut] did not have laws to protect the unborn at the time of McMechen's death, which inspired McMechen's mother to push for a change in the law. On October 1, 2003 ‘Jenny's Law’ was passed which makes the assault of a pregnant woman a Class A felony if her child should die as a result of the attack. Since the law took effect after McMechen's death, Latour cannot be charged with the death of the child.”

Latour was sentenced effectively to life in prison (70 years) on March 12, 2004.

Compounding the sadness over this whole horror is this: “Michael Latour's…mother spoke of his troubled childhood and the abuse in their home, but she did not offer excuses.”

I’ve heard Jenny’s mother, Debbie Florence, speak at the CT RTL Convention last October 2003. She pushed for this bill and was the most key person in getting it passed. Also at that event was the Connecticut State Representative who helped get this Law passed, T.R. Rowe, one of the few truly pro-life elected officials in this state.

Please let’s remember Faye Bennett and her family and friends. While this law won’t bring her or her baby back, perhaps there may be some justice and it might deter those liable to commit such a crime in the future.