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Highlands Today

Authorities To Decide Today Whether To Continue Search

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By Douglas  Carman | Highlands Today

Published: December 3, 2007

SEBRING — After searching a county landfill for a nearly a week for the body of an infant that was reportedly thrown in the garbage by a Lake Placid woman, law enforcement officials will "re-evaluate" today whether they will continue searching.

Sheriff Susan Benton said late Sunday morning that she, the state attorney and the lead detectives needed to speak to the medical examiner to determine if the search could produce anything further at this point.

"We need to make a decision from a logistics standpoint based on the expert's opinions," she said.

When asked if this means the search could stop after Monday, Benton repeated that she needed to speak with the medical examiner.

Benton also said that they may possibly determine charges against the baby's mother today. The potential charges could vary widely, from a second-degree misdemeanor for discarding human remains in the trash to some potential felonies after they review the evidence already collected.

Cadaver dogs, deputies and fire fighters from several agencies throughout Florida have been sifting through the landfill, searching for the baby's body since Nov. 27. It began when the Sheriff's office was told that a 24-year-old woman gave birth to a baby on Nov. 23 at her own home, then dumped it in the trash.

Her roommates grew concerned when they saw evidence of blood at the home, on Sarasota Street in Lake Placid, and questioned her.

"They were told that the mother lost her baby and put it in a plastic bag and placed the bag in the trash for pick up on Friday," Benton previously reported.

The Sheriff's office set up a command center at the Lorida landfill and employed searchers to dig through a 100-foot by 60-foot by 4-foot deep area at the landfill, where last Friday's pickup went from the woman's neighborhood.

Since the search began, the cadaver dogs examining the area "hit" on an item that turned out to be some bedding, which matched the bedding at the Sarasota Street residence. The residents identified the bedding, but searchers still haven't found the baby or any further evidence by Sunday afternoon.

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