Episode 54: Julie Corey
Darlene Hayes with her daughter
July 27th of 2009 proved to be a disturbing day for the tenants of an apartment complex on Southgate Street in Worcester, Massachusetts. Complaints of a nasty, foul smell led the landlord to check on the resident of one apartment, only to make a horrifying discovery. Inside a closet lay the severely beaten and decomposing body of 23-year-old Darlene Hayes. It was clear that Darlene had been dead and baking in the hot July heat for several days. The most disturbing fact of the scene, however, was that Darlene had been 8 months pregnant… and her fetus was missing.
According to the medical examiner, Darlene had a 9-inch incision on her lower abdomen. She had a fractured skull, presumably caused by a heavy object, and ligature marks from being strangled with an electrical cord. It was clear that Darlene had been murdered, but the question remained- what happened to the baby she was carrying? And more importantly, was it okay?
Just several days later, after the news hit that there was possibly an abducted fetus that needed to be found, a few people called in tips to the police department, pointing their fingers at one person in particular who had been acting bizarre in the recent months. 35-year-old Julie Corey had been telling her family and friends she was pregnant, but her story kept changing, as well as her due date and how far along she was. One day, she just showed up with a baby- a little girl- and told inconsistent and weird stories of her birth. Friends who were close to her seemed to think this was weird enough that they called it into police, and they were right to do so.
In order to keep up with her lie, Julie needed to get her hands on a baby girl, so she attacked and murdered her acquaintance, Darlene, to get her daughter and claim it as her own. Despite her malicious act, the baby was found to be safe and well taken care of. Julie was quickly arrested, which was followed by a trial several years later. Julie was eventually found guilty of first-degree murder, and sentenced to life in prison.
Image sources:
masslive.com - “Julie Corey, who was found guilty of killing her former neighbor and removing her unborn baby, motions for a new trial, claiming ‘mental impairment’
boston25news.com - “Memorial for Worcester murder victim vandalized, family says”