Authorities provide update on Baby Doe infant death investigation in New Bedford – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) – The Bristol County District Attorney’s Office has provided more information in the case of a deceased infant found in New Bedford nearly two weeks ago.

In an update Tuesday afternoon, the DA’s office shed more light on the investigation launched after New Bedford police officers responded to the area of Fort Taber on Saturday, Dec. 9, after a passerby came across the infant’s body.

The DA’s office said a 911 call was made after a woman walking with her niece first spotted a blanket near a bush thicket by a walking path.

Noticing “an odor of decay,” the woman approached the blanket and discovered a plastic bag wrapped inside, containing the decomposing body of an infant.

“When the woman made the discovery, she immediately yelled out about her discovery to two nearby men who were out walking their dog,” the DA’s office stated in a news release. “Subsequently, one of the men called 911.”

Following an initial investigation, state and local police confirmed none of the individuals who came across the body or reported it were involved in the infant’s death.

DNA testing conducted by the Massachusetts Medical Examiner’s Office later led officials to conclude the “Baby Doe” was male and “likely deceased for one to four weeks prior to the discovery.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the official cause and manner of death were still pending final autopsy results.

In its news release, the DA’s office noted that police detectives were in the process of reviewing weeks worth of surveillance footage from the surrounding area and that authorities were partnering with a lab in Texas to perform genealogical and forensic testing.

“This is a terrible tragedy, especially when it occurs during the Christmas season. We should all keep the infant in our prayers,” District Attorney Quinn stated in the release. “As part of our efforts, we have expedited and are utilizing advanced forensic technology in an attempt to establish a familial link to the deceased infant. If you have any information about this case, it is imperative that you come forward. No piece of information is insignificant.”

Anyone with information on the case is asked to report tips to the New Bedford Police at 508-991-6300, call Massachusetts State Police Detective Unit at 508-961-1901 or submit an anonymous tip via text message by texting the word “Bristol” to the phone number CRIMES (274637).

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