Pittsburgh Police Find Baby in Freezer
Pastor Dale Morgan
Pittsburgh Police Find Baby in Freezer*
Friday May 18, 2007 4:31 AM
By JOE MANDAK
Associated Press Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) - A woman was charged with abuse of a corpse Thursday
after police found the remains of a baby in her freezer.
Police charged Christine Hutchinson, 22, of Pittsburgh, after
interviewing her Thursday evening, several hours after the remains were
found in her apartment.
Officers got a tip from someone who knew Hutchinson that there was
``possibly a baby that was dead and was in a freezer in an apartment in
Bloomfield,'' a working-class neighborhood several miles east of
downtown, Pittsburgh police Cmdr. Thomas Stangrecki said.
Detectives found what initially appeared to be a late-term fetus in a
brown bag in the freezer, police said, though it wasn't immediately
clear whether the remains resulted from a miscarriage, late-term
abortion or a death shortly after birth.
But later, Lt. Daniel Herrmann said the abuse of a corpse charge applies
only to human beings. Under the law, he said, a fetus is not considered
a human being.
An autopsy was scheduled for Friday. Police said that they did not
believe the death was recent but gave no further details.
Police also questioned the woman's ex-boyfriend but said they do not
believe he was the father. He was not charged.
Hutchinson was in custody awaiting arraignment late Thursday. A criminal
complaint and police affidavit were not immediately released.
It was not immediately known whether Hutchinson had an attorney.