USF student accused of killing girlfriend’s unborn child
A USF pre-medical science student is facing first-degree murder charges after tricking his girlfriend into taking pills that resulted in the death of her unborn child.
John Andrew Welden, 28, is being charged by federal prosecutors of intentionally disguising Cytotec pills, a stomach ulcer medication that can be used to induce an abortion, as Amoxicillin and giving them to his girlfriend, Remee Lee, 26, who was six weeks pregnant with the couple’s child.
According to an article in the Tampa Bay Times, Welden forged the signature of his father, an OB/GYN, to obtain the medication, and provided them to Lee, who told civil court judges she wished to keep the baby.
Lee visited Welden’s father earlier to confirm the pregnancy, and though she hadn’t heard from him after, Welden told her his father had prescribed her the antibiotics for an infection.
The Times article stated that Lee told judges that the day before she lost the fetus, Welden asked to take the medication back, but Lee refused.
Welden faces charges up to life in prison for first-degree murder as the federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act considers fetuses as having a state of humanhood as victims of crime.— Staff report
More Stories
USF professors alarmed by DOGE’s review of academic research
David Allsopp said he knew the Florida State Department of Governmental Efficiency was looking for “inefficiencies” across higher education institutions ever since its creation in February. However, as a professor who has conducted research at USF for 24 years, Allsopp was “surprised” to learn the Florida DOGE team would analyze research done by university staff. […]
USF SG leaders take office after disqualifications, appeals
The beginning of a new generation of USF student leaders started on May 12, when the USF Student Government hosted a ceremony to inaugurate its sixth consolidated term. Among the new officers are Sumit Jadhav and Caio Esmeraldi, who will serve as student body president and vice president, respectively, representing all three USF campuses. Emma […]
How funding cuts are affecting USF student orgs, depts
For Carolina Gutfreund, next year’s cuts to student organization funding won’t just shrink the Botanical Gardens Club’s budget — they’ve led her to step down as its president. “The idea of it being bad was just making me so sad because we put a lot of effort into our events,” said Gutfreund, a junior English […]
USF Health Morsani College of Medicine is ranked best in the state
USF’s Morsani College of Medicine has been named the top medical school in Florida and ranked among the nation’s best in the 2025 U.S. News & World Report rankings. The college, now recognized as a Tier 1 institution, is the only medical school in Florida to receive this distinction. Charles Lockwood, the executive vice president […]
USF students reflect on preparedness following FSU shooting
When confetti and champagne popped near the MSC Amphitheater during an Acts of Kindness event on April 24, Ashley Messer froze – afraid she was hearing gunshots. “All I could think for the rest of the event was that I just stood there like a deer in headlights,” said the junior English major. “I didn’t […]
USF rocket team completes most advanced launch in club’s history
Facing budget cuts, loss of resources and logistical setbacks, USF’s Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry completed what its members called the most advanced rocket launch in the club’s 12-year history. Led by computer engineering senior Alvaro Lazaro, SOAR launched its high-powered rocket, Prometheus, during a nationwide NASA Student Launch competition, marking the first time the […]