PHOENIX — The Maricopa County Attorney's Office is investigating a woman who a judge said falsely accused a former star of the reality television show "The Bachelor" of getting her pregnant with twins.
Laura Owens filed a paternity suit against Clayton Echard in August of last year. Echard categorically denied the allegations and stated the two never had sexual intercourse. Owens later claimed she had a miscarriage but a family court judge ruled her claim was false and referred Owens' actions to the county attorney's office for review.
"I was talking to one of the investigators working on it this morning about an update and I know they're going through it quickly," said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell. "They've talked to a number of people and as you can imagine, it's gathering information from a number of different sources, medical courts, etc., so they're busy working on that."
Judge Julie Mata was the family court judge who presided over the hearings regarding the paternity claim. Mata issued an unprecedented 19-page ruling after the case, determining Owens knowingly presented a false claim. She also wrote that Owens has a pattern of similar, if not identical behavior.
Echard told 12News he has gotten to know some of the other men Owens has allegedly accused of impregnating her.
"We are actually at a place now where she may face criminal prosecution, which she should because she's been doing this for almost 10 years," Echard said.
Mitchell said it's not unusual for cases to be referred to her office from family court but said they typically are for perjury charges.
"Obviously, the nature of the case is exceptional," Mitchell said.
In an evidentiary hearing this summer, Owens admitted to altering medical records but she maintained the validity of her pregnancy. Her attorney, David Gingras, said they plan to appeal the judge's ruling.