Dynel Lane’s name became known across the country after she was convicted of one of the most disturbing crimes in Colorado history: luring a pregnant stranger to her home under false pretenses, then attacking her and cutting her unborn baby from her womb.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Details |
| Full name | Dynel Catrece Lane |
| Age at crime | 34 (2015) |
| Location | Longmont, Colorado, USA |
| Victim | Michelle Wilkins, seven months pregnant |
| Date of attack | March 18, 2015 |
| Convicted | February 2016, Boulder County jury |
| Sentence | 100 years in prison April 29, 2016 |
| Appeal | Sentence upheld by the Colorado Court of Appeals in 2020 |
How The Attack Happened
On March 18, 2015, Michelle Wilkins, then 26 years old and seven months pregnant, responded to a Craigslist ad offering maternity clothes for sale. The ad had been posted by Lane, who used it to bring Wilkins to her Longmont home. Once Wilkins arrived, prosecutors said Lane attacked her, beating and cutting into her abdomen to remove the baby.
Despite catastrophic injuries and heavy blood loss, Wilkins survived. She managed to call 911 herself and told the dispatcher she had been cut and was bleeding badly. Police and paramedics reached her in time to save her life. The baby, later named Aurora by Wilkins, did not survive. A coroner found no evidence she had ever breathed outside the womb.
Why Lane Wasn’t Charged With Murder
Because Colorado law at the time didn’t classify the killing of a fetus as homicide, prosecutors were unable to bring a murder charge over Aurora’s death. Instead, Lane was charged with attempted first-degree murder of Wilkins, first- and second-degree assault, and first-degree unlawful termination of a pregnancy.
The case pushed the issue into Colorado politics. State Republicans introduced legislation that would have allowed fetal deaths in similar circumstances to be prosecuted as homicide, but Democrats rejected the measure, the third such proposal to fail in the state.
The Fake Pregnancy
Investigators later learned Lane had spent months convincing people close to her, including her partner, that she was pregnant. She reportedly used downloaded ultrasound images to support the lie. When her partner pressed for proof shortly before the attack, Lane arranged the Craigslist meeting with Wilkins days later. After the attack, she told him she had suffered a miscarriage, and he rushed her and the baby to the hospital where doctors quickly determined she had not given birth.
Trial And Sentencing
A Boulder County jury convicted Lane on all six principal charges in February 2016. Wilkins testified during the trial, describing the attack and how she found the strength to call for help. Lane’s attorneys did not dispute that she attacked Wilkins but argued the evidence didn’t support a premeditated murder attempt, urging jurors toward a lesser manslaughter charge. The jury didn’t agree.
On April 29, 2016, Judge Maria Berkenkotter sentenced Lane to 100 years in prison, describing the attack as brutal enough to justify the maximum penalties on the most serious counts. Lane declined to speak at her sentencing. The 100-year sentence was later upheld by the Colorado Court of Appeals in 2020.
Where Michelle Wilkins Is Now
Wilkins survived the physical attack but has spoken openly in the years since about the long road through PTSD and grief. In interviews around the case’s ten-year mark, she described rebuilding her life, finding love again, and hoping to become a mother in the future. She has also gotten involved in causes supporting first responders and substance-abuse prevention, and has been working on a memoir. Despite everything, Wilkins has said she doesn’t hate Lane, even as she remains angry about what the attack cost her and her family.
What happened to Dynel Lane’s baby, Aurora?
Aurora was the unborn daughter of Michelle Wilkins, not Lane. She died after being cut from Wilkins’ womb during the attack; a coroner found no evidence she had ever breathed outside it.
How long is Dynel Lane’s prison sentence?
She was sentenced to 100 years in prison in April 2016, and that sentence was upheld on appeal in 2020.
Why wasn’t Dynel Lane charged with murder?
Colorado law at the time didn’t allow a fetus’s death to be prosecuted as homicide, so prosecutors instead charged her with attempted murder of Wilkins, assault, and unlawful termination of a pregnancy.
Is Michelle Wilkins still alive?
Yes. Wilkins survived the attack and has spoken publicly in later years about her recovery and her hopes to become a mother.
Discover also: Crime News
Source: CBS News
M Adnan Akram is the founder and lead writer at Back Casting Room, where he covers celebrity biographies, family histories, and the lesser-known figures behind well-known names. His work focuses on separating verified public information from speculation, drawing on publicly available records, interviews, and credible reporting to build accurate, well-researched profiles.
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