Lisa Trigg
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE —
Stephanie Foster spoke quietly and appeared somewhat confused during her initial court hearing this morning where she heard the formal charges of attempted murder and attempted armed robbery against her and was appointed a public defender.
Foster, 34, of Terre Haute, has been accused of stabbing two people in their Prairie Creek home last week in an attempt to abduct their newborn child to cover her false pregnancy.
With members of national, state and local news media observing the hearing, Judge Michael Lewis appointed attorney Michael Wright as Foster’s public defender in the case. Her next court hearing will be Thursday afternoon.
Judge Lewis informed Foster that if convicted of attempted murder or attempted armed robbery, both class-A felonies, she faces a potential prison sentence of 20 to 50 years in prison. Additional charges of attempted criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon and two counts of aggravated battery, all class-B felonies, have sentencing ranges of 6 to 20 years in prison.
Foster appeared via a video link from the Vigo County jail for Monday’s hearing. It is likely her Thursday hearing will also be conducted via video from the jail, where she remains held without bond.
Investigators say Foster faked her pregnancy after having a miscarriage, and decided to steal the Prairie Creek couple’s child after reading a birth announcement in the Tribune-Star. Detectives say Foster planned the abduction by preparing false birth certificates and gathering baby clothes. She allegedly went to the house armed with a BB gun pistol and a hunting knife, which she used in an attack on the infant’s mother. The infant’s father heard his wife’s yells and went to her aid, subduing Foster and holding her while his wife called 911, authorities said.
The mother was hospitalized after the attack, while the father was treated for his wounds and released. The infant was not harmed.
