BOULDER — Dynel Lane, the woman accused of cutting out an expecting mother’s unborn child in a Longmont attack this year, pleaded not guilty Thursday in Boulder County Court.
Lane showed little reaction at the morning arraignment, sitting clad in navy jail dress beside her public defenders. A two-week trial has been scheduled for early 2016.
Authorities say Michelle Wilkins’ unborn child — whom she planned to name Aurora — was removed by the 35-year-old Lane on March 18 in a grisly pre-meditated attack.
Wilkins, who was seriously injured, survived, but her unborn child did not.
Lane has been charged with eight felony counts, including first-degree unlawful termination of pregnancy, attempted first-degree murder and first-degree assault. She is being held at the Boulder County Jail in lieu of $2 million bail.
“A plea of not guilty does not necessarily mean Lane is denying having committed the act,” said David Beller, a Denver defense attorney, who is not representing Lane.
Beller said there are many reasons why Lane’s public defenders opted to enter a plea of not guilty, including that it could be a precursor to an insanity defense.
According to an arrest affidavit, Lane admitted to cutting out Wilkins’ unborn child in an interview with a police detective.
“The family, as it has been since the beginning, is very confident in the Boulder district attorney and his team to protect Michelle’s interests and the state of Colorado,” Michael Perini, spokesman for the Wilkins family, said after the arraignment.
Perini said Michelle Wilkins is in Colorado this week visiting friends and the first responders who helped save her. In particular, Wilkins is meeting with Beth Kemper, the 911 dispatcher who took her emergency call the day of the attack.
According to Perini, this is Wilkins’ first trip back to Colorado since leaving after the attack.
Neither the defense nor prosecutors commented after the hearing.
Longmont police say Wilkins was lured to Lane’s home by a Craigslist advertisement for the sale of baby clothes. Lane then allegedly attacked Wilkins with a lava lamp, cutting out the 34-week-old unborn child from Wilkins’ womb.
The Boulder County coroner’s office last month ruled the death of Wilkins’ unborn child to be ” fetal demise.”
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or twitter.com/JesseAPaul
