DA drops charges against North Carolina teen accused of attempted medication abortion

Lexi Solomon, The News & Observer on Oct 28, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

RALEIGH, N.C. — Nearly three months after a Durham teen and her boyfriend were arrested for allegedly attempting a medication abortion in the third trimester, the district attorney has dismissed all charges against the pair.

Syeisha Johnson, 18, and Elijah Speight, 20, were arrested Aug. 4, a little over a week after first responders discovered a 31-week-old baby in their toilet, The News & Observer previously reported. Paramedics provided CPR to the infant, who survived after being taken to the hospital.

Speight called 911 the afternoon of July 26 to report his girlfriend was in distress, according to a 911 call obtained by The N&O.

“My girlfriend is having real bad cramps,” he said. “She’s sweating real bad. The pain won’t go away.”

Speight would later tell police the couple found out at a doctor’s appointment the month before — the same month Johnson turned 18 — that Johnson was 20 weeks pregnant. Abortion is only legal through 12 weeks’ gestation in North Carolina in most cases, and minors can’t obtain abortions without parental consent.

After finding out about the pregnancy, Johnson allegedly ordered mifepristone, a medication commonly used to end pregnancies in the first trimester, from Virginia, according to search warrants. She allegedly took the medication a few days before giving birth and began having cramps the day before, the warrants state.

Police weren’t able to find any such pills during initial searches of Johnson’s home, according to search warrants. It’s not clear if any pills were ever found.

Johnson and Speight were later charged with child abuse because they allegedly left the baby in the toilet, where Johnson had sat down in an attempt to relieve the cramps, court documents show. Johnson was also charged with assault inflicting serious bodily injury and child abuse.

‘A woman has the right to choose,’ DA said

Durham County District Attorney Satana Deberry told reporters at Johnson’s first appearance that it was too early in the discovery process to make a real comment on the case. But she emphasized her belief in women’s bodily autonomy.

“I have been on the record over and over again saying that I believe a woman has the right to choose and has the right to making decisions about her own body, and we will review the evidence in this case in that light,” Deberry said.

In a letter sent to Johnson and Speight on Tuesday, Deberry said she dismissed the charges because of legal technicalities involving the personhood of a fetus and a lack of evidence to support the allegations. She noted that it wasn’t clear if the medication Johnson took caused the preterm delivery.

“Spontaneous preterm labor and delivery are not uncommon,” Deberry wrote. “It is especially not uncommon in young black teens with ongoing financial and social issues, such as faced by Ms. Johnson.”

Deberry also noted the baby had been sent home from the hospital to live with Johnson’s mother, who lives in the same residence as Speight and Johnson. Speight and Johnson have been granted unsupervised visitation with their child, she wrote.

Deberry had not responded to an inquiry from The N&O as of Wednesday morning.