A pregnant mother was discovered murdered in her residence, with her unborn child extracted from her womb. April Barlow Celio, 41, was discovered deceased at a residence in Pineville, Kentucky, on September 23. Authorities and the Bell County Coroner’s Office concluded she had been the victim of a homicide, the Mirror US reported.
Disturbing details of her death surfaced the next day when investigators discovered April had been pregnant, as reported by NeedToKnow. The State Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed there was no fetus in April’s womb when her body was analysed.
Investigators examining the scene subsequently recovered what authorities and medical examiners suspected to be fetal remains. Officials have not publicly revealed how April died or how the unborn baby was extracted from her womb.
DeMarcus Kenneth Johnson-Wright was named as a suspect, and a Bell County District Court judge issued warrants for him on September 25 on suspicion of first-degree robbery and kidnapping. Additional warrants were issued on September 30, charging Johnson-Wright with murder involving domestic violence and tampering with physical evidence.
Johnson-Wright was then arrested, and a search warrant was later obtained for the home, where investigators seized materials connected to the case. He was processed into the Montgomery County Detention Centre in Tennessee and is currently awaiting extradition to Kentucky.
It remains unknown what connection, if any, Johnson-Wright had with April. April’s family is now grieving the death of the 41-year-old mom, who is survived by her husband, Antonio, and three children. Her family said she was a devoted mother and named her surviving children Kaden Alexander Iracheta, Alaina Sofia Celio, and Nicolas Antonio Celio.
She is also survived by her parents, Michael and Teresa Barlow, sister Amanda De Paz, and other family members and friends. April was born in Pineville on September 11, 1985.
April’s family also set up a GoFundMe campaign to help support her surviving children after her death. The fundraiser was organised by April’s sister, Amanda, to help cover funeral costs and support the family. Johnson-Wright is currently being held in Tennessee as extradition proceedings to return him to Kentucky are underway. The investigation is still ongoing.
