Pregnant Woman Met Murderer on Craigslist

Pregnant Woman Met Murderer on Craigslist

Thursday, June 11, 2009

We told you over the weekend about Heather Snively, the pregnant woman who was murdered by Korena Roberts for her fetus. The baby later died. Now it turns out the two met on Craigslist. Is it EVER safe to answer a Craigslist ad? Our Internet safety expert weighs in.

Heather Snively answered a Craigslist ad for baby clothes. That's how the unsuspecting 8-months-pregnant woman allegedly met Korena Roberts, a mom of two who'd been telling friends and neighbors she was pregnant for months. But she wasn't.

Heather and Korena struck up a friendship. But when they met, Korena cut Heather's baby out of her stomach, killing her. Then she took the baby to the hospital and tried to pass it off as her own, but he later died.

Police found Heather's body in a crawl space of Korena's home.

This story is beyond horrific -- and spotlights the potential dangers of answering a Craigslist ad.

Internet safety specialist Lori Getz says it is never safe to befriend anyone online. Here are her three top tips:

• If using a website where you can interact with others online, you need to set up a safe account. Your screen name should not identify you, and your public profile page should not contain your real name or any other personal information.

• When using a site such as Craigslist or eBay or any other website where you can exchange items, you need to be careful. First, do your research. Check to see if the person you are corresponding with has bought or sold anything before on the site and read any comments posted about that person.

• It is best to set up a P.O. box or a mail service and have packages delivered to somewhere other than your home. If you are going to pick up an item in person, meet in a public place and bring a friend. NEVER GO ALONE to meet someone online that you don't know from your personal community. Also, make sure someone other than the person you are with knows where you are going and who you are meeting.

Our thoughts are with Heather Snively's family in this horrific time.

Do you ever buy from strangers on Craigslist? Comment below.

filed under: moms are talking about

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Thats beyond horrible. The scary thing is I purchase things through craigslist.org all the time especially stuff for my toddler.

- kiki

Posted 06/10/09 03:29 PM

I have occasionally sold and purchased items on Craigslist and probably will again, but as a pregnant mother living in Oregon (where this terrible tragedy occurred…) I will be taking all of these safety precautions and a few others seriously. I never would have imagined that pregnant women could become targeted victims of violence because a whacko wants their baby. This makes me very cautious when going out and about with my son and not my husband with us.

- Secret Mommy

Posted 06/10/09 04:05 PM

This is absolutly horrible. How could a human being be capable of these actions??? Its scary because when I was pregnant I went to a couple people’s home to buy baby items from them. Looking back now, I would have never of done that and should of chose to meet at a public place. Now I am selling my baby items on craigslist and will definetly be meeting in a public place. My thoughts and prayers are with Heather’s family. How awful.

- mumof3

Posted 06/10/09 04:33 PM

I’ve only sold one item on craigslist. And the woman came to my house to pick it up. My husband was home with me at the time. You know these days you just never know. You can’t trust anyone! People will always and have always taken something that can be used for good and turn it into a way to commit a crime or defraud someone. These are perilous time and we have to be careful. Truly the last days.

- Monica

Posted 06/10/09 05:08 PM

This is really scary to learn. I am hearing more and more of pregnant women being victimized by deranged women looking for a a baby after “Passing off as pregnant”. Its crazy! I will and have never gone to anyone’s home alone off Craigslist ever.

- Gigohead

Posted 06/10/09 05:29 PM

I buy and sell on Craig’s List. I am not afraid because I always check people out on Google. By the time I meet them I know a lot about them!

- Debbie

Posted 06/10/09 05:32 PM

Scary as heck. I just posted lots of stuff on craigslist this past weekend. I often do. Not sure I’ll ever use it again! Between this incident and the one a couple of months ago, it’s just too scary!!!

- Angela

Posted 06/10/09 05:48 PM

My sister and her best friend use Craigslist to find homes for dogs they are fostering. I’m not sure how they arrange things with the buyer, but I will be speaking with her about it! She’s very careful about things like that but Craigslist just seems to be a major magnet for mental cases and murderers. I don’t use it, never have, and am not likely to soon. My thoughts and prayers go out to the latest victim, and everyone else who has been harmed by someone through one of these sites.

- Anonymous

Posted 06/10/09 08:29 PM

This woman even looks like a whacko hopefully she’ll get the death penalty for a double murder.

- mercaties@msn.com

Posted 06/10/09 08:56 PM

i have bought and sold items a few times on Craigslist and everytime i have met them at a public place. Never Ever meet anyone that you don’t know privately… that is the way the world is, sorry to say. it is a terrible tragedy what happened and my prayers are with with the victims family

- Bobby

Posted 06/10/09 09:53 PM

I do craigslist too, but never alone. I make sure that my husband is home when I do have someone coming to my home (I’ve only bought and sold big things/furniture)….but crazy absolutely makes the world go around…I had read a similar story to this one a few years back where the nutso knew there was a new baby at a certain house because of the blue bow on the door…as much as I wanted a huge bow on my front door when I had my child, I didn’t want to advertise that I had a new baby or anyone knowing that I had a child in my home.

- littlepeapie

Posted 06/10/09 10:35 PM

AGAIN!!!! And still a few on the site have their doubts and go on to camp next to the river Nile.(i.e. “I don’t think she did it,she didn’t do it,it makes no sense,her dad did it,her grandpa did it,HE DID IT”).I have my theory,the Twilight series did this,or of course a guy did it,yup it’s HIS fault somehow,it’s my fault.

- The End Has Come

Posted 06/10/09 10:57 PM

I love Craigslist but these stories sadden me so much. I always make sure my brother or dad are at home when people pick up stuff. Also, don’t say stuff like “ok come after 5, that’s when my dad is home”…i said this once without realizing i was telling the lady when my dad was NOT home!! so far i have had great experiences on craigslist.

- Sidra

Posted 06/11/09 01:04 AM

My prayers are with Heather’s loved ones, who were so anxiously awaiting a blessing… now planning two funerals. I’d like them to know that we are listening, and will do all we can to prevent this from happening to anyone we know. My heart breaks when I think of the unforgiveable crimes caused by society’s damaged goods.

- Horrified

Posted 06/11/09 09:42 AM

Way to go. From the millions and millions of online and face-to-face transactions that occur on a daily basis, take one horrific incident and spread fear and distrust. These same fearful and gullible folks take a MUCH higher risk every time they climb into their car and drive, but that doesn’t matter to fear-mongering writers like this author.

- Dave

Posted 06/11/09 11:19 AM

Too many freaks out there! As a retired cop I seldom trust anyone especially in a case like this. In working private investigation now I’ve had victims who were foolish enough to pay for large items through the mail and were given false addresses to go pick up their purchaes. One offender did it repeatedly and had the victims go to his neighbor’s house so he could watch all the “fun” through the blinds. Also, be extremely careful about “money orders” as crooks are now making their own up on their computers that are obviously worthless. Sadly, we’re not a trustworthy nation any longer.

- MommaKat

Posted 06/11/09 11:21 AM

I’ve used craigslist for many yrs now. I’ve sold and bought stuff. I don’t know if I’m gonna use it again.. its scary!

- Gemini

Posted 06/11/09 07:26 PM

What is wrong with you people? Is this attitude and fear what you pass down to your children? I live in a city where anything can happen whether you look for it or not and I don’t hide myself under a rock. You have a larger chance of getting killed in a car than an online murderer. My friends have met countless people from other states and even visited them and guess what? They always come back alive. And Ebay? Are you joking? If you take the time to look at the feedback, you should be fine as far as actually purchasing the product goes. Almost every seller on there is there to make money, not kill you. And who uses Craigslist other than for events and job searching? If you’re looking to meet people or go on a date, you should be using a site made for that, not the internet form of a newspaper. I dont even know wy Ebay was mentioned? Anyone die from a bidding the wrong way? The way this article was written makes it seem like women are stupid and helpless in such a way that it’s almost offensive.

- the voice of reason

Posted 06/11/09 08:06 PM

Agreed with the above poster. I complete transactions with strangers on Craig’s List and freecycle regularly. One needs to look at the odds of danger. This is one case nationwide. Out of all the pregnant women in America. So the odds are one in many million? It’s much more dangerous to get into the car and drive to the grocery store.

- an

Posted 06/19/09 09:53 AM

I am a relative of Heather’s in MD. We haven’t talked to the press nearly as much as the West Va family. What they say is true….she was a very trusting, loving and caring person and could not wait to be a mom. She was so proud of her baby. Heather needed things for baby John and did what most people would do - search the classifieds. Could be online, could be in the paper, could be anywhere. Regardless, it all ends up in a meeting to exchange goods/money. I am completely outraged at this horrible and evil uh…woman?…for doing this to two completely innocent people and scarring our lives forever. We are still grieving tremendously over her death. But we do not blame Craigslist. We blame Korena Roberts for being a cold blooded killer….”allegedly”. But what if they had met through the Pennysaver? Should we take down Pennysaver? Should we take down all classified ads? SO many people are saying, “Get rid of Craigslist!” but that’s ridiculous. I say, “Get rid of murderers!”.

- Astonished

Posted 06/26/09 03:30 AM