Foul odor leads police to dead newborn behind house; baby’s body found wrapped in a trash bag

Police found the remains of a newborn baby behind a Worcester, Massachusetts, home on Friday, after residents reported smelling an unusual and foul odor.

Mass Live reports that authorities found the infant’s remains in the woods behinds a home off of Lake Avenue. When police arrived, they talked to the person who called in about the unusual odor, who indicated that he found a bag and was worried about what was inside.

“At 8:43 a.m., police officers responded to the police station lobby for a report of someone wanting to report an unusual odor coming from a bag at 375 Lake Ave.,” police reported. “Upon arrival, they spoke to the complainant. He said that he observed a bag with an unusual odor and was worried about what was inside.”

Upon opening a bag, authorities determined it contained the remains of a newborn infant. Police arrested Edwin Santiago, 31, of 384 Lake Ave., and Jennifer Rheaume, 36, of 375 Lake Ave., and charged them with “removal of a human body and concealment of the death of a child.” Authorities stated that the pair knew each other, but aren’t sure yet if they were in a relationship.

Both suspects were seen walking behind the home near railroad tracks while detectives were investigating.

Authorities are still unsure of the infant’s exact age upon death, and they’re unsure how the infant died. However, they learned that Rheaume was recently several months pregnant. The owner of the home, Mark Healy, who confirmed that Rheaume indeed lived in the home, told police that he noticed recently that she was no longer pregnant, but he never saw her with a newborn baby.

“She never went to the hospital,” Healy said. “But there was no baby.”

The investigation is still ongoing. Check back with Crime Online as additional details become available.

[Feature Photo: YouTube]