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Woman Charged For Shooting Mother and Abducting Baby Near Houston

By: KHOU & The Associated Press Email
Updated: Wed 12:32 PM, Apr 18, 2012

10AM Update:

Officials have released additional information regarding the recovery of a missing infant in Spring.

According to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Detectives Melanie Wood and Chad May, assigned to the investigation of the missing child and the murder of his mother, began a systematic canvas and search of the areas near the murder scene.

The canvas and search grew in diameter and Detective Wood drove though the parking lot of the Fawn Ridge Apartments on Sawdust Road. Detective Wood saw a parked vehicle that closely matched the vehicle that had been described by witnesses.

After questioning residents and examining the vehicle the two detectives alerted the investigative command of their findings.

SWAT officers entered the apartment at Fawn Ridge to determine if the kidnapped child was in the residence. The investigation continued to expand and intelligence information forwarded to
investigators.

The suspect arrived at the apartment complex and provided investigators with information leading detectives to a residence on FM 1960 in Harris County. Texas Rangers found the child at the residence on FM 1960 with the suspect’s sister. The child was unharmed.

During the interview with detectives the suspect provided information that led to her arrest. Physical evidence has been found in both residences and the car that support the arrest of the
suspect.

Investigators believe the suspect acted alone and that a second suspect is not at large, but will maintain vigilance to the contrary. As the investigation continues today detectives will examine evidence and conduct additional interviews.

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7AM Update:

A prosecutor says a woman has been charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of a mother and the abduction of her newborn son near Houston.

Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Lignon says Verna McClain was charged early Wednesday in the killing of Kala Marie Golden.

Witnesses say Golden died Tuesday afternoon after another woman shot her, snatched the 3-day-old baby from her arms and drove away.

Lignon told ABC's "Good Morning America" that McClain's statement to investigators indicate the shooting was part of a plan to kidnap a child.

He says he doesn't think Golden was specifically targeted.

The baby, Keegan, was found unharmed Tuesday evening. Lignon says Child Protective Services are looking after Keegan but that they expect him to soon be reunited with his father.

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An infant who was kidnapped after his mother was fatally shot at a Woodlands-area pediatric center was found safe Tuesday night, officials said.

An Amber Alert was issued for 3-day-old Keegan Schuchardt after Kala Golden was shot multiple times at the Northwoods Pediatric Center located in the 25000 block of Borough Park Drive.

Deputies said a woman got out of an ice-blue, four-door Lexus at about 3:40 p.m. and shot Golden about seven times. She then fled with the baby northbound on Interstate 45 from Rayford Road, investigators said.

Golden was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in the Woodlands where she died.

Keegan Schuchardt was found in the 1900 block of Sugar Pine at FM 1960, which is where a relative of the shooting suspect lives. As police were questioning a woman in connection with the case, the baby was headed home to be with his father and brothers in Spring.

“It’s hard man, it’s hard,” said Keith Schuchardt, the victim’s husband. “I’m going to miss her a lot.”

He and Golden were married for more than three years and had three young sons.

At one point during the search for Keegan, a SWAT scene unfolded outside an apartment complex in the 12400 block of Sawmill Road, about a mile and a half from where the baby was kidnapped. As the SWAT team moved in they realized no one was in the apartment.

Then around 8:15 p.m. a Texas Ranger, DPS trooper working with Montgomery County, found the child.

On Tuesday night Golden’s family said they were struggling to understand what happened. They said they had no disputes with anyone and did not know why she would be targeted.

Police said they do not have a motive at this time.

"Obviously, when you've got a kidnapping case, or an aggravated kidnapping case, on top of a murder, this is dire circumstances," said Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon. "So we'll continue to develop our leads throughout the evening."


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