Georgia woman charged after taking abortion drug leads to death of premature baby

A Georgia woman has been arrested and charged with murder after she allegedly took the drug misoprostol and prematurely gave birth to a baby girl in a local hospital; the baby survived for at least an hour after birth and then died.

Last week, Moore was arrested and is now facing charges of murder, possession of dangerous drugs, and possession of a schedule 2 controlled substance.

Key Takeaways:

• In December, 31-year-old Alexia Moore allegedly took misoprostol and oxycodone in an attempt to abort her child at around 20 weeks gestation.

• Moore was taken to the hospital after her friend found her in extreme pain and called 911. After Moore gave birth to a living premature baby girl, she attempted to leave the hospital, but staff called police.

• The police learned Moore had told her friend she did not want another baby and planned to take the drugs to kill her, with police reporting that Moore later told nurses, "I want her [the baby] to die."

• Preborn babies are protected from abortion in Georgia once their heartbeat is detectable, except in certain instances, and only physicians are legally allowed to carry out abortions under those exceptions.

• In Georgia, the law does not specify that women can be prosecuted for abortion; the case is unusual due to the fact that Moore's baby did not die in the womb but survived for anywhere from one to three hours after birth.

• Moore remains in jail without bond. She reportedly has two other children, ages nine and six.

The Details:

Alexia Moore, 31, is alleged to have taken 200mg of misoprostol (a drug that causes the uterus to contract, often used as the second drug in the abortion pill regimen) along with oxycodone, on December 29, 2025. The next morning, she was taken to the emergency room at a Southeast Georgia Health System hospital with severe abdominal pain.

Born alive

There, she gave birth to a baby girl who was "premature and having major health issues," including respiratory problems, according to the Kingsland Police Department arrest report and Action News Jax.

Moore attempted to leave the hospital against medical advice.

Conflicting reports indicate that the baby girl survived after birth for anywhere from an hour to a few hours. An anonymous friend told Action News Jax that Moore told her afterwards that she had given birth to the baby at five and a half months.

Hospital staff contacted police to report a "suspicious circumstance involving a female patient." When they arrived, they spoke with Moore's friend, who told them that the night before, Moore told her she didn't want to have another baby and that she planned to "take oxycodone and start the process of taking the Misoprostol."

When the friend went to check in on Moore the next morning, she found her in her bathroom in severe pain. She called 911, and EMS workers brought Moore to the hospital.

Georgia woman charged with murder after taking abortion pills, giving birth in hospital

Misoprostol is the second drug in the abortion pill regimen, and is typically taken after mifepristone, which is used to deprive the baby of nutrients and oxygen. Taking misoprostol alone and later in pregnancy can lead to live births.

The Georgia Recorder noted remarks from Moore's mother, which seem especially jarring in this situation (emphasis added):

Moore, who is in Camden County jail awaiting arraignment, could not be reached for comment.

Her mother, Edith Moore, who is a local pastor, described her daughter as a patriot and excellent mother, adding that the situation has created fear and anxiety for Moore’s six-year-old and nine-year-old children, who don’t understand why their mother is in jail.

“As a mother, and me talking as a grandma, she’s an excellent mother. I believe her children are her life. She has been a good provider for her children,” Edith Moore said.

The Boston Herald painted a somewhat different picture:

The police investigator obtaining the warrant wrote that Moore told the nursing staff: “I know my infant is suffering, because I am the one who did the abortion. I want her to die.”

Zoom Out:

In 2022, the Georgia LIFE (Living Infants Fairness and Equality) Act, which protects preborn children from abortion after their heartbeat can be detected, typically at about six weeks, took effect. It allows exceptions for children conceived in rape or incest up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, or when the mother's life is in danger. It also states, "It shall be the policy of the State of Georgia to recognize unborn children as natural persons."

The law states that only a licensed physician can carry out an abortion and that after the first trimester, abortions must be carried out in a licensed hospital.

While the law is written to apply penalties for committing abortions to the physicians, it does not stipulate one way or the other if women are allowed to face penalties for carrying out their own abortions, especially after the first trimester.

However, Dana Sussman, Senior Vice President of the pro-abortion organization Pregnancy Justice, claimed to Action News Jax, "This is an unprecedented murder charge for an alleged abortion, even though no law in the state of Georgia permits such a charge.”

What makes this case unusual is that Moore's baby girl did not die in the womb; the baby died after birth from the intentional attempt to end her life.

What's Next:

Moore is currently being held without bond in Camden County Jail. No court date has been announced at this time.