A Texas man was indicted this week for allegedly giving his pregnant wife abortion-inducing medications without her knowledge.
Prosecutors said Mason Herring, 38, the managing partner of Herring Law Firm, put the drug in water that he gave to his wife on more than one instance.
Herring Mixed Abortion Drugs in Water, Insisted Wife Stay Hydrated
The couple had split up in early 2022, and the woman discovered she was pregnant in February, according to KTRK. Harris County assistant prosecutor Anthony Osso said Herring was not happy about his wife's pregnancy. Nevertheless, he lectured his wife about keeping hydrated while pregnant, KTRK reported.
According to Osso, on March 17 Herring gave his pregnant wife breakfast and water — and insisted he was not going to leave until she drinks the water.
"She thought it was odd. She thought the water was cloudy. She questioned him a little bit, but, nonetheless, did drink the water, and then he leaves and takes that cup," Osso alleged. Herring allegedly told his wife that the water was cloudy because of dirty pipes.
Herring's Wife Caught Him on Camera Putting a Powder in Her Drinks
Herring's wife reportedly became seriously ill after the encounter, and doctors could not identify the cause. KTRK reported that the woman became suspicious of Herring after he gave her a bottle of orange juice with the seal broken on one occassion.
At some point, Herring's wife installed surveillance cameras at their home even though she was no longer living there and decided to keep the drink samples as evidence. She also found packaging for a drug containing misoprostol, a drug that is used to induce abortion in the trash.
Misoprostol can cause diarrhea, stomach cramps, or nausea according to the Mayo Clinic, and can cause more severe side effects like body aches, chest pain, heavy bleeding, and painful menstruation, among others.
Court documents showed text messages from him to her that he was unhappy about the pregnancy. According to KTRK, it was two days later when Herring was filmed putting a powder into his wife's water, prompting her to alert authorities.
Herring Charged with Assault
A Harris County grand jury indicted Mason Herring, 38, on two felony counts of assault of a pregnant person and assault-force induction to have an abortion. Herring was arrested in May and released on a $30,000 bond, ABC reported, but he was indicted earlier this week.
Six water samples were sent to a lab in Oklahoma which reportedly determined that at least two of them contained Misoprostol. KTRK reported that Herring's wife gave birth to a girl. While the baby was born a bit early, she was said to be doing well.
