Honk News (East Donegal, PA) – Police in Pennsylvania are investigating after a newborn was discovered buried in a backyard, months after a teen allegedly took abortion-inducing medicine bought online after being informed she couldn’t have the abortion performed.
According to local outlets The Patriot-News, Lancaster Online, and NBC affiliate WGAL, the Susquehanna Regional Police Department (SRPD) launched an investigation when a suspected fetus was discovered in the backyard of an East Donegal Township home earlier this month.
Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni told Lancaster Online that the bones were in “advanced state of decomposition” when located.
According to WGAL, an SRPD officer initially met with a witness on March 6, citing a search warrant application and an affidavit of probable cause.
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The teen stated that in April 2024, the youngster took an at-home pregnancy test and had a positive result, which a doctor later confirmed. According to The Patriot-News, the girl then proceeded to an abortion facility and was told her pregnancy was too far advanced to get an abortion.
According to the site, abortion is illegal in the state after 23 weeks and 6 days. Many providers do not provide early access to abortion. According to the state of Pennsylvania’s website, abortion is permissible up to the 23rd week of pregnancy, as well as in “certain cases when the pregnant person’s health is in danger.”
According to The Patriot-News, the youngster and her mother allegedly obtained abortion-inducing medicine online after visiting the clinic, and a search warrant was also issued.
The girl’s pal reportedly informed authorities that she took the drug on May 9 and texted her the next day that the fetus “came out,” calling it “a full baby.”
According to WGAL, the records used the terms “baby” and “fetus” to refer to the discovery.
Citing the search warrant, WGAL claimed that the girl also texted an image of the fetus “with the umbilical cord and placenta in what appears to be a white trash bag,” before allegedly admitting that she kept it in a container under her bed for two to three weeks before to the purported burial.
On March 6, when the witness spoke with an SRPD officer, authorities executed a search warrant, and the remains were taken into custody by the coroner.
Diamontoni later told WGAL that the cause of death was extreme preterm prior to viability, in an unclear manner. He also noted that the corpses appeared to have been buried in the yard for some months.
The coroner also informed ABC 27 that the fetus would not have survived outside the womb.
WGAL reported that no arrests had been made as of Thursday, March 13.