“Information was developed that Barlow was also pregnant at the time of death, and, according to the State Medical Examiner’s Office, there was no fetus in the victim’s womb.”
A pregnant mother of three was found murdered in her Kentucky home in late September, with authorities making the startling discovery during her autopsy that her unborn child was removed from her womb. A suspect was tracked down to Tennessee and arrested.
The Pineville Police Department in Kentucky said that officers responded to a call regarding a deceased person on Wednesday, September 23. Police determined that the victim, identified as a 41-year-old April Barlow Celio, had been killed in a homicide.
A press release stated, “On Thursday, September 24, 2026, information was developed that Barlow was also pregnant at the time of death, and, according to the State Medical Examiner’s Office, there was no fetus in the victim’s womb.”
Police with the Pineville Police Department, Bell County Sheriff’s Office, and Kentucky State police recovered while processing the scene what investigators and medical examiners believe are the remains of the unborn child.
Investigators identified DeMarcus Kenneth Johnson-Wright as a suspect. He was tracked down to a home he was living in in Clarksville, Tennessee, around 250 miles away from the murder scene. It is currently unclear how the suspect and victim knew each other.
On September 25, authorities issued warrants for robbery and kidnapping of an adult, with additional warrants being issued on September 30 for murder related to domestic violence and tampering with physical evidence. That same day, officials requested the assistance of the US Marshals Service Central Kentucky Fugitive Task Force. Johnson-Wright was arrested at around 11 pm local time that day.
Police said a search warrant was carried out at the Clarksville residence, where “materials relating to the case were recovered.” Johnson-Wright was booked into Tennessee’s Montgomery County Detention Center, where he is awaiting extradition to Tennessee. The investigation is ongoing.
Police said that Johnson-Wright has an “extensive violent criminal history and several outstanding violent felony warrants out of Tennessee.” Per People, warrants out for Johnson-Wright’s arrest included suspicion of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, being a felon in possession of a firearm and domestic violence for previous incidents.
Celio’s sister has set up a GoFundMe to support the family. “My sister was murdered. There are no words that can truly explain what our family is going through right now. One moment she was here—someone we could call, hug, laugh with, and love—and now we are trying to figure out how to say goodbye to her far too soon. She was very loved by her family.”
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