A dead baby was found abandoned on a woman’s front porch in Tennessee as she was leaving her house, police said.
The woman found the abandoned newborn on a porch on Thursday, March 24, and called the Southaven Police in Memphis. The police arrived and immediately discovered the baby was deceased.
The baby boy was found naked and not breathing by the woman, a critical care nurse.
The placenta was still connected, and she did not hear anyone knock on her door or have any idea why the baby was left outside her home, the woman told the local news media.
In a March 28 Facebook post, a spokesperson for the Southaven Police Department (SPD) said they were worried about the child’s mother.
The spokesperson added: “This is an ongoing investigation, and we ask that the families impacted by this are allowed to have their privacy during this difficult time.
“We are also asking that if anyone has information on the mother to please come forward. We are concerned for her health and well-being.”
The statement continued: “We are asking for the help of the public to help identify this mother and infant. Together, we can move forward and provide the necessary resources for this mother and family.”
The Southaven Police Department asks anyone with information about the mother’s identity to call 662-393-8652 or email tips@southaven.org.
The SPD was contacted by Newsweek for comment.
A newborn baby can be surrendered to a so-called “safe haven” location by either parent in most states.
The focus of the safe haven laws is to protect newborn children from endangerment by providing parents an alternative to criminal abandonment, according to the Children’s Bureau.
To be protected by the safe haven law, some states require the newborn infant is left at specified locations.
More than 4,510 infants had been surrendered safely since the safe haven laws were introduced, according to the Save Abandoned Babies Foundation.
