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Baby Search Continues Today

SHERIFF’S OFFICE COMMENTS GUARDED

By Joe Seelig | Highlands Today

Published: December 3, 2007

The search for a baby or fetus discarded by its mother Nov. 23 continued at the county landfill today and was scheduled to go on Tuesday, according to Highlands County Sheriff's Maj. Mark Schrader.

The 24-year-old Lake Placid woman had the baby in her Sarasota Street home and threw it into a trash can. The garbage was picked up and delivered to the landfill, where law enforcement authorized searchers along with cadaver dogs and their handlers have been combing over a 100-foot-by-60-foot-by-4-foot deep section since Monday Nov. 26.

"This morning myself, Sheriff (Susan) Benton, Lt. (John) Chess, Det. (Roger) St. Laurent, and (Assistant State Attorney) Steve Houchin, held a telephone conference with the (District 10) Medical Examiner Dr. (Stephen) Nelson," Schrader said Monday afternoon.

It was discussed and decided to continue the search Monday and today and to get together again Wednesday and make a decision whether to continue, he said.

Schrader said time did play into the discussion, but he did not wish to elaborate on what the medical examiner advised.

Schrader also refused to answer questions about what, if anything, was found since Friday, when Sheriff Benton herself reported that bedding belonging to the household of the Lake Placid woman had been found at the dump.

Schrader also said the sheriff's office was not ready to discuss what charges could or would be made against the mother. The mother's name has not yet been released by the sheriff's office.

Landfill management continued to give the sheriff's office its complete cooperation and support as the search entered it's second week, Schrader said.

As many as 40 people searched the dump from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday. Three cadaver dogs from Marion County and one from Brevard County and their handlers were at the landfill Monday and would be there Tuesday as well, Schrader said.

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