On Oct. 13, a dead newborn girl was found in a baby drop box in Idaho, police said this week.
The child was removed from the playpen at Grove Creek Medical Center in Blackfoot “within a minute” after a medical team responded to an alarm informing them that a baby had been placed there.
When they were removed, they realized the child was dead long before being placed in the baby box, according to a news release Monday from Safe Haven Baby Boxes on Facebook.
Idaho law allows unharmed and healthy babies to be released into the baby boxes. Since this child was already dead before being placed in the box, there was no legal surrender.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes offer parents a safe and anonymous way to safely hand over their newborn baby. But anonymity is only allowed if a baby is transferred completely unharmed, says Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
“We are devastated,” she said. “Let this be clear: this is an illegal, deadly abandonment. We are cooperating fully with the investigation and providing all information we have to local authorities. When the baby was placed in the playpen, she was wrapped in a blanket while the placenta was still present. attached.”
The identity of the parent is now known to police, according to a video update that Kelsey posted on Facebook on Thursday.
“Just because there are cameras on these boxes doesn’t mean there aren’t cameras on these boxes,” she said. “It was either old-fashioned police work or she stepped forward.”
Twin Falls and Blackfoot police departments are both investigating.
“We extend our sincere condolences to the family and community affected by this loss. The health and safety of the children in our community remain our top priority,” Twin Falls police said in a news release Monday.
Since 2017, 52 babies have been legally transferred to Safe Haven Baby Boxes, the organization said. Every child has been adopted, the organization says.
There is only one Safe Haven Baby Box in Idaho.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
