Hearing delayed for accused baby kidnapper

UNION, Mo. -- A court hearing scheduled Thursday morning for Shannon Torrez was delayed until a mental evaluation is completed of the woman accused of slashing a young mother's throat and stealing her newborn.

Torrez's attorney, Daniel Briegel, requested the mental evaluation earlier this month. It is expected to be completed by Feb. 12, according to court documents.

Franklin County Circuit Judge Gael Wood ordered late Wednesday that Torrez's hearing be delayed until Feb. 13, one day after the evaluation is scheduled to be filed in court.

Wood ordered the Missouri Department of Mental Health to conduct the evaluation. Torrez, 36, remains in Franklin County jail on $1 million bond.

"We really can't do anything until the [psychiatric] evaluation comes back," said Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Robert Parks.

The evaluation must determine if Torrez suffers from a mental disease and knew right from wrong when she allegedly kidnapped the infant in September.

Briegel wouldn't comment on the case Thursday.

Police say Torrez abducted 7-day-old Abigail Lynn Woods on Sept. 15 after slashing the throat of the infant's mother, 21-year-old Stephenie Ochsenbine. Abby's father and Ochsenbine's boyfriend, James Woods, was at work when the attack allegedly occurred.

Torrez tried to pass the newborn off as her own for five days before her sister-in-law became suspicious, according to police.

The child was returned to her parents unharmed the night Torrez was arrested.

After she was in custody, police searched Torrez's property -- just a few miles south of Ochsenbine's home -- and found a marked grave for a buried fetus that died in 2000.

Parks said Thursday the fetus was Torrez's miscarried child. He said it's legal to bury a corpse on private property and doesn't plan to file charges over the matter.

Torrez told police she had given birth to a second dead child the day Abby Woods was kidnapped, and a medical exam found she was recently pregnant, according to Parks.

Police have never found the remains of Torrez's child that allegedly died in September, he said.

James Ochsenbine, Abby's grandfather, said the abducted child who was returned is "just fine." He said Stephenie Ochsenbine no longer lives in the home where Abby was abducted and is staying with family.

Stephenie Ochsenbine told KSDK-TV last month that Abby was hungry upon her return and is being "spoiled" by a mother who missed her dearly during the days she was kidnapped.

"It changed my life, because of it," Ochsenbine said. "Just having her now, it's definitely a miracle."