Man finds body of baby sister in cardboard box his mother kept in a freezer for more than 37 years
Police have launched an investigation into the suspicious death of a baby after a man made a disturbing discovery at his mother's St. Louis residence.
Adam Smith recently moved into his mother's apartment -- located on the 6000 block of Magnolia -- to help her after she was diagnosed with cancer, KSDK reports.
After she passed away last week, Smith started rummaging through her stuff and in the freezer he found a box the contents of which shocked him no ends.
"I'm 37 and it has been in my freezer for 37 years and I was always told it was a wedding cake top," Smith said.
Smith's curiosity led him to wonder whether the box could be that wedding cake top or if it held some cash inside. But what he discovered was as unexpected as it could get.
"It turns out it was a baby," Smith said.
Speaking to KDSK, he revealed it was a frozen baby wrapped in a pink fleece.
"It still had skin hair and everything it was mummified," he said. "After that, I freaked out, put it in the box and called the police right away."
According to Smith, he never considered looking inside the box before.
"I've asked her several times, it was either a no-no conversation or blew me off. My mom has always been secretive about things about life," he said.
“Even as she was on her deathbed, she never told me what was in that box,” he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “That’s what makes me think maybe she did something to this baby and didn’t want to tell anyone because she was afraid she would get in trouble.”
EXCLUSIVE: A disturbing discovery in south St. Louis. Police are investigating the death of a baby. But tonight, we get more details from a man who found the baby wrapped in a pink blanket in his mom's freezer. Catch the full story at 6 on @ksdknews. pic.twitter.com/juSKoL9SQT
— Justina Coronel (@JustinaCoronel) July 29, 2019
Smith eventually recalled his mom had once told him about a sibling passing away before he came into the world.
"We're saying 46 or 47. That's how long, I'm assuming it is my sister, been in a box in a freezer for this long," he added.
Smith said he is unable to contain his emotions after uncovering the disturbing secret that had been hidden from him for years.
"I'm more confused, angry," he said. "I just want to find closure, I want to find more answers."
In his quest for more information, Smith was joined by detectives from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, who noted the case is now being investigated as a "suspicious death."
“The head homicide guy was stumped,” Smith told KMOV. “He literally looked at me and said, ‘This is a good one.’”
Law enforcement said this is still an active investigation.
Anyone with information must contact the homicide division directly at 314-444-5371 or connect with CrimeStoppers at 866-371-8477.