From NC WANTED Staff

Posted: Jun 29, 2007
Updated: Apr 3, 2009

WAKE COUNTY — WAKE COUNTY:   Autopsy confirms that Jenna died of a single stab wound to her neck.  A one-inch-wide wound went 3.7 inches into the left side of Jenna Nielsen's neck, hitting her carotid artery and her internal jugular vein, the autopsy found.

Medical examiners also gathered evidence for a rape kit, but the report contained no information that Nielsen, 22, was raped or sexually assaulted.

It did say, however, that her pants and underwear had been pulled down. Because Nielsen was partially clothed, sources indicate it is possible that her killer attempted to rape her and that when she struggled, she was fatally wounded.

Nielsen also had abrasions to both elbows, right knee and left shin that, according to the medical examiner, could have been caused by a fall or from being dragged. The report also indicates a single hair found on her right hand but does not specify whether it belonged to Nielsen or her attacker.

Nielsen was pregnant with her third child, a boy to be named Ethen, at the time of her death.

According to the autopsy, the fetus was approximately 38 to 40 weeks and healthy, weighing about 6.35 pounds and was about 19.9 inches long.

Raleigh police found Nielsen's body at approximately 4:30 a.m. June 14 behind the AmeriKing Food Mart at 1709 Lake Wheeler Road. The store was on Nielsen's newspaper delivery route for USA Today.

Investigators recovered a bloody knife near the crime scene later that day but police have not said whether it was the murder weapon.

Nielsen's family has set up a Web site, justice4jenna.org,, in an effort to keep the case alive and is offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the case.

Police have no suspects in the case, but have released a composite photo of a person of interest wanted for questioning.

He is described as being in his late teens or early 20s, standing about 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing about 120 pounds. He had black hair pulled into a ponytail and wore a dark-colored sleeveless shirt and baggy denim shorts.

VIGIL CALLS FOR NEW LAW IN NC

During a recent candlelight vigil for murdered pregnant mother Jenna Nielsen and her unborn son, scores of people called for a state law to make killing a pregnant woman a double murder case.

"An unborn child should be recognized if the mother's killed," said Kevin Blaine, whose daughter, Jenna Nielsen, was stabbed to death June 14.

Nielsen, 22, of Fuquay-Varina, was killed as she refilled USA Today newspaper boxes. Her body was found behind a Lake Wheeler Road convenience store.

She was eight months pregnant with her third son. That boy, who was to be named Ethen, was due not long after Jenna was murdered.

Nielsen is the third pregnant woman killed in the area in the past two years. Michelle Young was found beaten to death in her Wake County home in November, while Janet Abaroa was found stabbed to death in her Durham home in April 2005.

North Carolina is one of 14 states that doesn't recognize the death of a fetus as a separate crime, although state law does enhance the felony charge against an assailant if a crime against a pregnant woman -- including domestic violence -- does lead to a miscarriage or stillbirth.

Nancy Burdette was so touched by Nielsen's case that she started an online petition to change the state law and make killing a pregnant woman a case of double murder. More than 2,000 people have already put their names behind the effort.

"It has really just taken off and taken on a life of its own," Burdette said. "If you have two victims, you have two crimes."

Past attempts to change the law have failed, partly because recognizing unborn life plays into the abortion debate.

"Don't cloud the issue with abortion," Blaine said.

"Abortion is the mother's decision. I want this for when this is not the mother's decision," Burdette said.

Various women's advocates and domestic violence groups said they also worry about unintended consequences of a change in the law. They said a pregnant woman could be held responsible if she doesn't protect her fetus from an abuser.

House Bill 263, which would have made the death of a fetus a separate crime didn't make a deadline to be heard by a legislative committee this session, said state Rep. Debra Ross, D-Wake.

If all parties get together, a study could emerge for the next legislative session, Ross said.

 A $10,000 REWARD

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Jenna Nielsen's murder.  NC WANTED is tracking the investigation and has aired stories with Jenna's family and reflected on the circumstances of her murder.  The show airs on Saturday nights, after WRAL's 10 O'Clock News on FOX50.  On Mondays, you can view the previous week's episode online using the video player.

The 22-year-old pregnant mother of two was out delivering USA Today newspapers when she was stabbed to death sometime in the early-morning hours of June 14, Raleigh police said. An officer responding to a report of a suspicious vehicle at the AmeriKing Food Mart on Lake Wheeler Road found her.

The case has drawn national attention with Tim Nielsen appearing on Fox News' "On the Record" and USA Today publishing a full-page advertisement in its Monday edition. The paper also ran a quarter-page ad Wednesday and another full-page spot on Thursday and a quarter-page ad on Friday.

"All the attention that this case is getting is potentially helpful because we are still working to generate information from the public," Sughrue told The Associated Press. "Detectives potentially only need one piece of information to put them in the right direction."

Police have said the slaying was random and have released a composite sketch of a person of interest who was seen near the crime scene in the pre-dawn hours of June 14.

He is described as being in the late teens or early 20s, standing about 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighing about 120 pounds. He had black hair pulled into a ponytail and wore a dark-colored sleeveless shirt and baggy denim shorts.

Anyone with information about the case should contact the Raleigh Police Department's tip line at 919-227-6220. You can also call NCWANTED at 1-866-43-WANTED, or go to "Report a Tip".

Nielsen was buried Saturday in Salt Lake City near where the young family lived before moving to Fuquay-Varina last August. Eight-months pregnant with her third son, Ethen, she left behind 11-month-old Kaiden, and 3-year-old Schyler.

“He knows mommy's not coming home. He knows she was buried,” Tim Nielsen said.

The family has said set up a Web site, justice4jenna.org, to get as much attention as they can until the killer is behind bars. Also on the site, they have started a petition in the hopes of changing a state law that prevents prosecution for double murder when a pregnant woman is killed.

Nielsen's brother has also posted a note on his Myspace page asking the public to call police if they have any information.

“We're always waiting for the phone, and it doesn't ring,” Blaine said Monday.