Arizona man sentenced for trying to kill wife's unborn baby

PRESCOTT, Ariz. - A 43-year-old man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for trying to kill an unborn baby last year.

The backstory:

In October 2024, a woman told Prescott Police and Yavapai County deputies that she had gone to the doctor where she learned she was approximately nine weeks pregnant. The woman said she and her husband, 43-year-old Justin Noecker, were "looking forward to having the child," according to the Yavapai County Attorney's Office. 

But several days after learning of the pregnancy, the pair reportedly got into a fight. Noecker had allegedly became angry, telling the woman he would give her an abortion, before he restrained her and repeatedly stomped on her stomach.

The woman went to the hospital, and learned that the baby did not survive. 

Yavapai County Attorney's Office

What we know:

Noecker was charged with attempted murder, as officials said the baby was believed to have been alive at the time of the assault. 

The attorney's office said that "Arizona law protects an unborn baby at any stage of development with the same penalties as any young child victim."

On Dec. 15, Noecker was sentenced to 10 years for attempting to commit second-degree murder of the unborn baby, followed by seven years of supervised probation for the kidnapping of his wife during the attack. 

Dig deeper:

Medical records were unable to determine if the cause of death was due to a miscarriage before the assault, or if it was a result of Noecker's abuse.