Laura Owens, the Arizona woman who falsely claimed she was pregnant with former "Bachelor" star Clayton Echard's twins, was sentenced Friday in Maricopa County to 30 days in jail and seven years of probation, a far lighter sentence than Echard and prosecutors sought.
Owens, 35, pleaded guilty in August. Investigators say that between May 2023 and June 2024 she altered an ultrasound photo, faked a pregnancy video and lied several times under oath, going to "extreme lengths to manipulate men," KTVU reported. If she violates probation, she could face up to 12.5 years in prison, according to AZFamily.
The sentence
In addition to the 30 days of flat time, the judge imposed 12 months of deferred jail, set to begin October 22, 2027, AZFamily reported. The sentence was less than what "the State and the victims requested." Owens's mother, Jan Owens, had asked for probation only.
Explaining his decision, the judge said he had weighed whether Owens was "this sophisticated con person or a very sad individual making some poor choices," and concluded it was "the latter," according to AZFamily.
In court, Owens said: "I pleaded guilty to four felonies, and I am profoundly, profoundly sorry for the pain, distress and expense that I've caused them." She also told the court she was "completely, terribly sorry" to "everybody I've harmed."
What prosecutors say she did
According to the allegations prosecutors laid out, Owens contacted Echard on May 17, 2023, about a real estate deal. The two had a sexual encounter on May 20, 2023, that did not involve intercourse. On June 1 she claimed to be pregnant and in August 2023 filed a paternity action. Prosecutors say she used human chorionic gonadotropin, the pregnancy hormone, to produce false positive tests, and edited photos to appear pregnant. Her filings also included claims of abortion coercion and domestic violence.
Echard was not her only target, prosecutors said. Another man, Greg Gillespie, told the court Owens made him spend years defending his reputation, livelihood and name, and he is seeking nearly $300,000 in restitution. A woman named Stormy Mitchell said the twin ultrasound Owens passed off as her own was stolen from her and is "the only photo I will ever have of my twins together."
The victims' reaction
Echard told the judge, "I've been fighting for the last three and a half years." He was blunt about Owens's remorse: "Her tears aren't from empathy, they're not. She doesn't feel sorry. She's just sorry she got caught," KTVU reported.
His lawyer, Gregg Woodnick, said a "dangerous person left the court in handcuffs," and called Owens's expression of remorse "performative and contrived."
Our analysis: the gap between exposure and sentence
Jail imposed now: 30 days.
Deferred jail, from Oct. 22, 2027: 12 months.
Probation: 7 years.
Possible prison on a violation: Up to 12.5 years.
Put in proportion, the immediate jail term is about 0.7% of the 12.5 years hanging over her on probation (30 days out of roughly 4,560). That structure is common in plea deals for first offenders: a short taste of jail, a long probation tail and a large suspended threat that keeps the defendant in line. The trade for the state is a guaranteed conviction on four felonies, with no trial and no risk of acquittal. We explained that bargain in How Plea Deals Work.
The case is also unusual because much of the alleged conduct happened inside a family court paternity fight. Lying under oath in a civil case is a crime, and investigators say Owens did it several times. Gillespie is still seeking restitution.
Owens's case began, like every felony case, with formal charges and a first court appearance, a process we walked through in What Happens at a Criminal Arraignment.
Two Taps News stories summarize reporting and the analysis discussed on Two Taps and Friends. They are not legal advice. Read our standards.
