The woman who lied about being pregnant with Clayton Echard's baby has been indicted on felony charges in Arizona.
Laura Owens named the former Bachelor in a paternity lawsuit in 2023, alleging that Echard got her pregnant with twins after a one-night stand. But a paternity test confirmed he had not fathered the unborn twins, ending what he called "five months of torture," in October 2023. She later dropped the suit and alleged she'd miscarried the twins.
An investigation into Owens' claims began last July by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in Arizona, and on May 6, the office announced in a press release that she's been indicted on seven felony charges.
Owens "made several inconsistent statements during a paternity hearing involving" Echard, per the release, and the investigation determined that "between May 2023 and June 2024, Owens altered an ultrasound image, fabricated a pregnancy video, and lied multiple times under oath."
She was indicted by a grand jury on four counts of perjury, one count of forgery, one count of tampering with physical evidence and one count of fraudulent schemes and artifices.
Echard, 32, reacted to the news of Owens' felony indictment in an Instagram video just minutes after the charges were announced, as he said, "Justice is finally served."
"This nightmare is over. I am so ready to not have to think about this anymore," he said, calling the news "a weight lifted off me."
"I'm literally looking at messages coming through right now from the other guys. We are so, so thankful."
