A Prescott man, Justin Joseph Noecker, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for assaulting his pregnant wife with the intent of forcing her to miscarry.
The 43-year-old Noecker was sentenced to 10 years in prison for Attempt to Commit Second Degree Murder, followed by 7 years of supervised probation for Kidnapping.
“I believe all life is sacred. Mr. Noecker’s selfish decision to violently terminate his partner’s pregnancy is chilling,” Yavapai County Attorney Dennis McGrane stated. “I hope the prison sentence imposed in this case will send a message that violent crime has no place in Yavapai County.”
The investigation revealed that in late October 2024, Prescott Police officers and Yavapai County Sheriff’s deputies responded to a home outside Prescott city limits. The victim told detectives that she had recently learned from her doctor that she was approximately 9 weeks pregnant. The victim and Noecker were looking forward to having the child.
However, during a fight in the days after learning of the pregnancy, Noecker became angry and stated he would give the victim an abortion before restraining and repeatedly stomping on the victim’s stomach. The victim went to the hospital, but the baby did not survive. A review of medical records was unable to determine if the baby’s death was due to a miscarriage prior to the assault or as a result of the assault.
Noecker was charged with Attempted Murder as he believed the baby was alive at the time of the crime. Arizona law protects an unborn baby at any stage of development with the same penalties as any young child victim.
Noecker was sentenced to 10 years in the Arizona State Prison for Attempted Second Degree Murder of the unborn baby. Noecker will further be placed on supervised probation for a period of 7 years upon his release from prison for Kidnapping, for restraining his wife during this attack.
Grane is calling on the Arizona Legislature to increase the penalties for crimes of this nature.
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