Verna McClain Charged With Murder: Why Did She Kidnap Baby Keegan And Kill Kala Marie Golden?

Verna McClain was charged early Wednesday for the murder of Kala Marie Golden and the abduction of her 3-day-old son Keegan Schuchardt. At a hearing McClain, a registered nurse, was denied bail and faces capital murder charges that could lead to the death penalty.

McClain, 30, had originally informed her fiancé that she was pregnant. However, she apparently suffered a miscarriage, but she was determined to show him that she was able to produce a child, reported CNN.

She did have a miscarriage, she needed to justify having a child to her soon-to-be fiancé and they were going to get married in May, Montgomery County Sheriff's Capt. Bruce Zenor said, according to Reuters.

McClain, however, did not mention the miscarriage to her fiancé and insisted that she was pregnant and had given birth to a child, by him, said Zenor, reported CNN.

McClain was arrested on Tuesday after police tracked her down to The Woodlands of North Texas. Baby Keegan was found unharmed.

She's given a full statement to the detectives with the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department, said Montgomery County District Attorney Brett Ligon on Good Morning America.. As part of the statement with that agency, in conjunction with the other evidence that we were able to obtain yesterday...we did charge her [McClain] in the early hours [Wednesday] morning with capital murder.

Golden was standing near her pickup truck outside of Northwoods Pediatric Center office around 2:40 p.m. on Tuesday in Spring, Texas. She was with her 3-day-old son Keegan Schuchardt.

Witnesses said that McClain pulled up in a car near Golden, reported the Associated Press. An argument broke out between McClain and Golden.

Some sort of a verbal altercation starts, Montgomery County Sheriff's Lieutenant Dan Norris Norris said, according to Reuters. The female suspect pulls a gun and shoots the mother of the baby multiple times.

My baby, my baby! Golden reportedly screamed as the car drove off. Witness said she was shot five time and hit in the chest at least three times.

As Golden lay wounded in the parking lot, witnesses informed police of the description of the vehicle and McClain. Police sent out an Amber Alert, in an effort to find the abducted baby. However, Golden succumbed to her injuries in the hospital, according to USA Today.

Witnesses at the clinic reportedly heard gunshots and saw Golden lying in the street. However, they were unsure about exactly what happened.

I thought she just passed out, said Joshua Jesson, who was at the clinic with his girlfriend at the time of the incident, reported the AP. Then somebody ran in here and said, 'Somebody got shot.'

Golden's mother, Linda Golden, had been babysitting another one of her daughter's children at the time of the incident, when someone at the scene called her using her injured daughter's phone, She hurried to the scene, but was unable to be with her daughter as paramedics rushed her away, reported the Associated Press.

I wanted to kiss her before they put her in the ambulance, Linda Golden said.

She described he daughter as a kind-hearted person.

We went everywhere together and did everything together, she said.

Authorities said that injured mother attempted to save her baby from McClain.

The child was being put into the suspect vehicle and that's when the mother tried to get into the car, said Norris, according to ABC. The car sped away, knocking the lady to the ground.

Golden's mother said that this was the hardest fight of daughter's life.

She died trying to save her baby, she said, according to the AP. She also stated she has no idea what drove the alleged culprits to kill her daughter and abduct her grandson.

However, police officials believe this was random and Golden was not a specific target. She was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The evidence indicates that this was a random choice, Montgomery County Sheriff's Captain Bruce Zenor said, according to Reuters.

Two detectives spotted a vehicle in an apartment complex at The Woodlands that matched the description of McClain's getaway vehicle. McClain's apartment was empty at the time, however. Still, detectives waited for her to return. She eventually arrived on the scene and spoke with investigators, reported the Washington Post.

It was around this time that detectives discovered the location of McClain's sister in Harris County. They concluded that the child might be there.

It's unusual to get such a large swing of events, to go from the murder to the recovery of the child and have the suspect in custody all in a matter of few hours, Ligon told ABC. Rarely do things work out like they do on TV but, in this case, I can't say enough about law enforcement here in Montgomery County.

Baby Keegan was in the care of Child Protective Services, as officials conducted a thorough background investigation of the father, Keith Schuchardt, said Ligon. Officials were concerned about his previous criminal record, which includes felony convictions for possesion of a controlled substance and burglary, reported the Washington Post.

Also, Schuchardt had not signed Keegan's birth certificate which posed several administrative problems. However, the baby was returned to him on Wednesday after the paperwork issues were resolved, reported CNN.

Schuchardt received a call at work regarding his wife. By the time he arrived at the hospital, she was already pronounced dead.

It's just a random thing, I think, he said. We don't have any enemies. I don't know why anyone would do it. Maybe she lost her baby and wanted a baby ... or to sell him. I want to get my baby back.

Recovering the child was an extremely emotional for everybody who was there, said Ligon, according to CNN.

Obviously for the father, Keith, it has been a roller coaster, said Ligon. You lose your wife one day but you're able to recover your child, it's an emotional swing not many people would be prepared for but I understand he's holding up well.