Police Officer To Stand Trial In Pregnant Woman's Death

SAGINAW (WWJ/AP) - A police officer will stand trial in the strangulation death of a pregnant Saginaw area woman.

The Saginaw News reports that Kenneth Bluew's preliminary examination ended Friday in Saginaw County District Court with a judge binding him over on a charge of first-degree murder and assault related to the death of Jennifer Webb's unborn child.

Bluew was with another officer when the body of Webb, who was eight months pregnant, was found Aug. 30 near a drainage ditch in Buena Vista Township, about 85 miles northwest of Detroit. An extension cord was around Webb's neck and attached to the roof rack her sport utility vehicle.

State police Detective Sgt. Jason Teddy testified Friday that Bluew admitted in an interview to having sex with the 32-year-old Webb, after "adamantly" denying it initially.

A Buena Vista officer testified Thursday that Webb's parents told him that the married, 36-year-old Bluew had gotten their daughter pregnant.

A forensic pathologist testified during the preliminary exam, saying he believes someone killed Webb by approaching her from behind and applying a "chokehold" on the woman. He testified Webb died due to "neck compression" and not because of "ligature strangulation" by hanging herself with an extension cord, though Buena Vista police initially classified her death as a suicide.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.