Infant Skeleton Found In Hempfield; May Have Been There For DecadesPolice Investigate Remains Found In SuitcasePOSTED: 7:42 am EST December 30,
2007 HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Adult siblings cleaning out their elderly mother's home in Hempfield Township found an infant's skeleton in a suitcase, state police said.According to Westmoreland County chief deputy coroner Paul Cycak, the baby was at 35 weeks gestation when he or she died, and there was no sign of trauma.Forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht used bone measurements and other techniques to help investigators determine the age of the infant, but the gender is unknown.It's unclear how long the baby was in the suitcase, but according to officials, the suitcase appears to be about 50 years old.The woman who lived in the house on Janyce Drive died earlier this month. She was in her 80s, and her surviving children in their 40s and 50s were preparing her home to be sold, police said.The siblings did not recognize the suitcase as their mother's, but said clothes found inside it belonged to her, police said.The skeleton was wrapped in a "smock," with its arms folded across its body and its knees tucked into its chest, Cycak said.The cause and manner of death will likely be ruled undetermined, Cycak said.No charges have been filed, and police have not released the name of the woman who lived in the home. Related Links: More Westmoreland County NewsGet RSS Headlines | Free Desktop Alert Copyright 2008 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. |
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