A New York man is behind bars after he fatally stabbed his pregnant wife and then stabbed his two daughters, injuring them, according to police.
According to the allegations, 32-year-old Drew Garnier stabbed and killed 29-year-old Samantha Garnier in their home in Masonville, NY, last week. He also attacked their six and nine-year-old daughters; the girls survived and are expected to live.
“Family members have arrived from outside of the area and will be caring for the girls upon their release from the hospital. The State Police would like to extend our condolences to the family and would also like to thank all of the first responders who assisted at this horrible scene,” said Major Lucas Shuta of the New York State Police.
Police say that after the attack, Drew called 911 and police responded to the home. He has been charged with one count of second-degree murder and two counts of attempted second-degree murder. Despite the fact that Samantha was five months pregnant at the time of her death, it is unlikely that Drew will also be charged for the death of his preborn child.
“The short answer is no, it’s not,” District Attorney Shawn Smith said when asked if there would be two murder charges. “We’re going to look into see if there are charges, we can bring then certainly we will. But, no it’s not like you may think or want. No, it’s not two murders because the child passed away,” he said. New York law no longer classifies the death of a preborn child as homicide — not even at 24 weeks or later, as it did previously — because of the passage of the state’s Reproductive Health Act in 2019.
Reportedly, police are still searching for a motive and say that there were no previous domestic calls to the home. However, studies have shown that homicide is one of the leading causes of death for pregnant women, and that many of these deaths are the result of domestic violence situations.
A felony hearing for Drew Garnier is scheduled for Wednesday, but officials are seeking a grand jury indictment before then.
