Frankfort man charged with murder in shooting death of pregnant woman and her unborn child

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (WDRB) -- A shooting during a reported home invasion killed a pregnant woman and her unborn child in Anderson County.

Kentucky State Police Trooper Bernie Napier said Lawrenceburg Police were called just after 5 a.m. Tuesday on a report of a home invasion. When officers arrived at the house on Saffell Street in Lawrenceburg, they found a pregnant woman with gunshot wounds. Derrick Morris, 33, of Frankfort, was arrested later Tuesday and charged with murder and first-degree robbery.

Johnathan Harley, 20, was arrested and charged with first-degree robbery. Detectives interviewed Harley and determined he arrived at the house just before the robbery occurred. According to a news release, he initially denied knowing about the robbery but later admitted to his role in the planning and execution.

KSP said Morris assaulted a man near the home, hitting him repeatedly with a gun. In the midst of that assault, the gun fired, hitting Lauryn Kinne, 22, in the chest. Kinne, who was in her third trimester, and her unborn baby died at the hospital.

One Anderson County school was delayed because of the home invasion. The shooting scene was directly across the street from Saffell Street Elementary School. There was no threat to students or any school.

"We made notification to the school district of what was going on there close to the schoo,l and they made the decision at that time to delay school for two hours," Napier said

After a call from a church member, Alice Burns, who lives nearby, learned police were responding to more than just a wreck down the street.

"I saw the police cars down there with the lights flashing and just thought there had been a wreck down there," she said. "He said that there has been a shooting down there, and the mother was dead, the baby."