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Body Of Missing Mother Found In Gary Home

(CBS) -- Police believe a Gary woman wanted a baby so badly that she killed a new mother from Anderson, Indiana after convincing the woman she was a social services worker, reports WBBM's Mike Krauser.

The woman showed up at the home in Anderson that 23-year-old Samantha Fleming shared with her boyfriend and infant daughter Serenity nearly two weeks ago convincing Fleming she needed to come with her for a court hearing. They left with the baby and were not heard from again.

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The boyfriend called police and investigators, suspecting the woman was not who she claimed to be, followed leads to the home in Gary, where Fleming's body was found stabbed and stuffed in a plastic tub.

The homeowner, a 36-year-old woman according to police, wasn't there. She had set up a nursery and recently told others she had recently given birth.

The unidentified woman's sister dropped by to pick up some things and had the baby with her and also noticed the smell. She told police she asked her sister to care for the baby and had gone to visit their mother in Texas. Police say she is still there in a hospital under mental health care.

Charges are pending and the baby is in good health and with Fleming's family.

Suzanne Le Mignot spoke with a man who said he knew the woman who owned the home. He did not want to be identified.

"She was a good person. I never would've expected anything like this to happen," he said.

The man said she looked like she was nine months pregnant.

"She was big. She walked with a wobble, so yeah, she was big," he said.

Police are trying to figure out how the woman, claiming to be a Child Protective Services employee, knew so many details about Fleming and her previous case history.

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