Abortion Verses Fetuscide - Why the Contradiction?

[Palehorse]

To see the legend surrounding fetuscide laws click the following link.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_US,_feticide_laws.svg#file


For a map showing legality of abortion see below. But it is legal in every state of the US by request.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:AbortionLawsMap-NoLegend.png

Why is it that the law is so overwhelmingly contradictory when it comes to the interpretation of "life" and its beginning. You already know my position on abortion and when life starts, so I will not cover old ground here, or at least try to avoid it.

What I have a problem with is the implication on one hand that there is no legal "life" from one perspective of the law, yet from another there seems to be a strong indication from some states that a fetus is "alive".

In many states, and Indiana is one of them, if in the commission of a crime you cause bodily harm or commit any act to an expectant mother that ends the viability of a fetus, you will be charged with "fetuscide" in addition to attempted homicide, aggravated assault, etc. upon the mother. In an overwhelming number of states it is categorized as an outright homicide, and in still other cases it is dependant upon the stage of pregnancy.

Why all this contradiction? Is it a case of states attempting to pander to the zealots, or something else?